


Remember 1937

by Poolie



Category: Bjyx, YiZhan, bozhan - Fandom
Genre: 1930s China, Alternate History, Angst and Tragedy, Arranged Marriage, Boys' Love, Bozhan, Chinese Republican era, Combat, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Gay, General Xiao Zhan, Heroic, High ranking general Xiao Zhan, History, M/M, Other fictional characters - Freeform, Slice of Life, Student Wang Yibo, Top Wang Yi Bo/Bottom Xiao Zhan, Tragedy, Violence, War, World War II, Yibo falls for the tough general, Yizhan - Freeform, adult xiao zhan, mature content, melancholic, teenage yibo, the tough general protects yibo, war and love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poolie/pseuds/Poolie
Summary: The year is 1937 in Shanghai, China. Civilians are fleeing the city as there is the threat of war looming over everyone's heads. The Japanese troops are inching closer to invading the city center once more.A high ranking military general of the Chinese Republican Party named Xiao Zhan is inevitably faced with the hardships and turmoils of trying to save his beloved city and country. One day, Xiao Zhan is patrolling the city as per usual when a rambunctious teenage boy named Wang Yibo bumps into him. Perhaps it is fate or a curse in disguise, but upon meeting the teenager, Xiao Zhan's life becomes increasingly more complicated.This is a story about budding romance, war, tragedy, and salvation. There is something undoubtedly touching about being madly in love when the world is crumbling into pieces around you.
Relationships: Wang Yi Bo & Xiao Zhan, Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan, xiao zhan - Relationship
Comments: 104
Kudos: 195





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1. “The Photograph.”

“Out of the way!” a brass male voice shouts. A navy green Jeep is swerving rather recklessly around the corner of the cobblestone streets. “You’re all going to get run over! Move!!” The voice shouts again.

The pitter-patter of anxious footsteps ensue. A herd of people move opposite ways, allowing the speeding Jeep car to pass through the uneven roads of the crowded alleyway. 

“Thank you!” the man smiles, tipping his grey cap in gratitude as one hand is on the steering wheel. The Jeep car sputters a trail of black smoke, leaving the bystanders in a coughing fit. 

“You’re a bit rude, I’ve realized.” another man speaks, his voice a lot softer in comparison. He looks over at the driver, his partner. “A simple ‘move aside’ would have sufficed.” the soft spoken man adds. 

“Zhan Ge, you’re what they call a ‘Gentleman’. Well educated, well spoken and polite. Me? I am the exact opposite. So, don’t expect me to be ‘polite’ to people. It’s not in my blood.” The driver replies, a mischievous smile forming upon his tanned face. 

The soft spoken man lets on a small smirk in amusement. He unconsciously fiddles with his gloved hands.

“Oh, that reminds me. Isn’t Mr. Gentleman supposed to go to an arranged marriage meeting this afternoon?” the driver queries. He slyly leans in closer to his seated partner. “Any word if she has humongous knockers?” he laughs, one gloved hand making a cupping motion below his chest. 

The soft spoken man immediately slaps his gloved hand onto his partner’s shoulder, causing his partner to grimace. “Li Nuo, learn to be quiet sometimes. It won’t kill you to shut the hell up.” he scolds. “Keep your grabby hands on the steering wheel and just get us to our destination. Don’t forget your position.” 

Li Nuo rolls his eyes and places his hand back on the steering wheel, eyes fixated on the grey roads of this Shanghai streetway. “Sir, yes Sir!” Li Nuo responds in mockery. “...Whatever the General says….” he adds on in a whisper. 

The tires of the navy green Jeep come to a halt. Li Nuo steps out of the car, his heavy leather boots hitting the loose gravel ground. He looks around. There are loud construction noises and men shouting left and right. There are workers in tattered clothes and military men alike bustling about to create concrete bricks and whatnot. The air smells of coal and mysterious burnt substances. 

“So, this is the government’s grand plan?” Li Nuo scoffs lightly. “Build walls??” he almost laughs. “I can just imagine how General Huang pulled this off. He was probably like ‘Hey, Xiao Zhan’” Li Nuo says as he points his finger at his partner. “come over here and do XYZ for me because I’m a complete puppet and I have no authority. I just listen to whatever the higher ups tell me----shitty plan or not.’” Li Nuo mocks, eyes fixated over at his partner who is now stepping out the Jeep. 

“You’re right.” Xiao Zhan replies monotonically; he fixes his wrinkled grey trench coat and dusts off the dirt from his leather boots. “That’s exactly how it happened, Li Nuo.” he adds on sarcastically.

Xiao Zhan walks past his partner and looks around the construction site. Taking in a deep breath, Xiao Zhan sighs heavily. “But what choice do we have?” he mutters quietly. 

“What?” Li Nuo responds.

“I said what choice do we have?” Xiao Zhan repeats louder, his voice seemingly bigger than his thin frame. Xiao Zhan’s brown eyes repeatedly scan the construction sight, almost aimlessly. “There are threats of an air raid from the Japanese military. I can’t possibly think of a better plan, unfortunately….” his voice trails off into silence. 

“Air raid?” Li Nuo repeats to himself. “What--How come I haven’t been told of his yet?” his voice raises in worry. 

Xiao Zhan shakes his head. “You’re but a mere sargeant, Li Nuo. You think they would let you know?” he retorts. “This is a serious threat. If the general public were to know, we’d have even more chaos. Imagine the civilians fleeing or stealing resources. For now, all that the civilians know is that we’re reconstructing buildings that have been ruined, but that’s just a pitiful lie. We’re building air raid shelters.” 

Li Nuo falls silent for a while. He scratches the back of his neck while peering at Xiao Zhan. “....oh. I see…” he manages murmur. 

Xiao Zhan frowns deeply. He takes off his cap and runs his gloved hands through his ink-Black hair. 

“Fuck, I need a cigarette.” Xiao Zhan grouses. He abruptly turns around and speeds the opposite way. 

“Someone catch that little twerp!!!” A soldier screams. 

The crowd of construction workers and military men all turn their heads in the same direction. The soldier speeds past the crowd and sprints up a trail---in front of him is a teenaged boy in school uniform running away from him. 

“Stop right now!!!” the soldier yells.

The teenaged boy pants heavily. His oxfords are weighing him down as he desperately tries to run up a hill. 

“You’re dead meat, I’m telling you!” The soldier bellows. He inches closer and closer to the boy. 

The boy reaches for his camera hanging off his shoulder by a strap and holds it tightly. The soldier wanted the camera. 

“Please, sir! I won’t do it again! I swear on my ancestors!” The boy cries. He zig zags through the trail, the ends of his jacket missing the soldier’s hand by every move. 

“I’m going to catch you! I swear on MY ancestors!” The soldier mocks. His gloved hand is practically one inch away from the boy’s black jacket. 

Not too far away, Xiao Zhan is standing by an old mill taking a cigarette break. The young general turns his head to the left when he hears a messy mesh of screaming voices; his cigarette still burning between his fingers. Xiao Zhan lets out a puff of smoke and stares amusingly at the interesting scene in front of him. A teenaged boy is running away from Zhang Bowei, his junior colonel---who evidently looks very angered. 

Xiao Zhan takes another puff of his cigarette before dropping it onto the ground and stepping on it. To his surprise, the boy is now running closer and closer to him instead. 

“General! General, help! He’s going to murder me!” the boy screams. 

“....What?” Xiao Zhan mutters to himself.

Xiao Zhan’s eyes widen--the boy is now running directly at him. Before Xiao Zhan can move aside, the boy grabs a hold of Xiao Zhan’s trench coat hems. The panicked boy quickly moves to hide behind the older’s back, ducking from the oncoming gloved hands of colonel Zhang Bowei. 

The young general stares in bewilderment at the teenaged boy behind him. His eyes dart back at his junior colonel Zhang Bowei who is now reaching his hand to grab the boy by his uniform collar. 

The young boy is violently pulled by his collar and practically dragged to the front. Xiao Zhan looks at his junior colonel in query. 

“What in the world…?” Xiao Zhan starts. 

“Let me go!!!” The boy yells. He is kicking and twisting his body in means to escape, but Bowei would not allow it. “You’re choking me!” the boy screams louder. 

“Sir!” Bowei greets, his free hand saluting his senior. Xiao Zhan still stares in confusion. “I caught this little twerp,” Bowei sneers at the boy “taking pictures of our construction camp. This child doesn’t seem to understand that this is a breach in security and that if the Japanese spies were to get a hold of these photos, we’d all be compromised. Rather, I think this boy is actually a spy!”

“I didn’t take any photos!” The boy retorts. 

“Oh? Let me see that camera of yours, twerp.” Bowei growls. He tries to grab the camera but the boy just grips it tighter. 

Xiao Zhan raises his hand, stopping Bowei. “Wait a minute” the young general asserts. 

Xiao Zhan lets out a short breath of air and scans the boy up and down--he adjusts his own peaked cap to get a better look. In front of him stands a thin boy with a black button up school uniform---looks to be from the local Minhang High School. There is no name tag on the uniform. Xiao Zhan bends his knees a bit and peers up at the boy’s face. The boy refuses to make eye-contact, but even with his head lowered in fear, Xiao Zhan can make out the features. Supple and pale cheeks coupled with plump red lips. Although the boy's eyes are gazing at the ground, the lashes are dark and long. 

“He looks young.” Xiao Zhan comments.

“He’s a teenager. They’re an unruly bunch” Bowei mocks. 

Xiao Zhan stands up straight and crosses his arms, wrinkling his trench coat again. “Kid, what’s your name?” he asks. 

The teenaged boy bites his red lips. “I didn’t take any photos…” he mumbles. 

“General Xiao didn’t ask if you took the pictures or not, he asked for your name!” Bowei scolds, gripping the boy’s collar harder. 

Xiao Zhan sighs when he sees that the boy is cowering even more. “Your name, kid.” he repeats.

The boy looks upwards, barely making out Xiao Zhan’s face. The boy’s eyes fearfully lower, afraid to make eye contact. He just stares at the pristine gray-blue uniform and feels the hairs on his back rise. “I…..I….” the boy stutters. 

“Talk, you twerp! You actually have a death wish!” Bowei interjects. 

“Bowei,” Xiao zhan interrupts. “Don’t. He’s just a kid.”

“But-! He could be an actual threat to-”

“Don’t.” Xiao Zhan asserts once more, making his junior colonel fall silent. 

Xiao Zhan purses his lips. He kneels down to be more eye-level with the supposed spy. “You know, if you don’t tell me your name and why you’re here, I can just send you to jail? Then, when you’re suffering in jail because of questions of treason, I can easily send somebody to Minhang High School to find out your name and also arrest the whole of your family.”

The boy’s eyes widen and dart up to Xiao Zhan. For a short while, the boy is a bit taken aback by the young general standing in front of him. Xiao Zhan is a lot less rugged looking than the other generals the boy has encountered in the past. The young general is fair skinned, not tan like the others, and his eyes are elongated and almost melancholic in gaze. 

“Please, sir...I mean, General Xiao...please let me go.” The boy pleads. 

“Tell me your name and I will think about letting you go.” Xiao Zhan repeats sternly. “Your irresponsibility will be the ruin of your whole family.” He warns “Only the rich can afford to attend Minhang High School. If news were to get out that you’re in jail, your family’s name will be tarnished. Be a good filial son and tell me your name.”

The boy’s lips quiver in fear...or is it shame. “....My-my name is…” he begins, barely intelligible as his eyes well up in tears. “My name…..is....Wang Yi… Wang Yi.” he cries.

“What?” Xiao Zhan replies, face furrowed. 

“Wang Yibo…!” he cries louder. 

Xiao Zhan can’t help but crack a small smile at the pathetic crying boy. He clears his throat and stands up straight. “Wang Yibo, huh.” he acknowledges. 

The boy named Wang Yibo is now bawling. His tear-drenched face reddens in shame. “Sir. please let me go!” he bellows. “My Mama and Papa can’t find out about this, please! They’ll disown me. NO, worse….they’ll kill me!” the boy pleads, his pale hands reaching out to grab a hold of Xiao Zhan’s coat. 

Bowei frowns in frustration. “This fucking kid…” he mumbles. 

Xiao Zhan looks down at the crying mess of a child. “Tell me why you were taking pictures of the construction site. How did you even get in here?” he questions. 

Yibo hiccups. He wipes away the ever-flowing tears from his reddened cheeks. “I...I want to be a journalist, sir. That’s why.” he starts. Yibo looks up once again, now eye to eye with the General. “I found this place by myself one night when I was wandering around. I thought it would be a good story to write about….you know….government secrets….”

Xiao Zhan raises an eyebrow. “A good story…?” he repeats, nostril flared. “Kid, you could be charged with treason. The Republic will kill you if they find out. They don’t care if you’re a mere teenager-”

“I know! I know, General Xiao. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please. Let me go. My Papa will beat me if I get home too late.” Yibo begs. The teen’s hands are gripping onto Xiao Zhan’s coat as tight as wrenches. 

Xiao Zhan makes an odd grimacing expression; perhaps in pity of the boy. He then makes eye contact with Bowei who is tugging at Yibo to move back. 

“Colonel Zhang, escort this ‘Yibo’ kid back to my office. We’ll resolve this issue privately.” Xiao Zhan commands.

“Sir, yes sir!” Bowei salutes. 

Yibo suddenly lifts his head from crying into the General’s coat. “What..?” He breathes. “No, wait! General Xiao I can throw my camera away—!” Yibo interjects. 

Xiao Zhan looks away with an amused look on his face. He pulls out his cigarette pack from his pants pocket and lights up another cigarette. As he takes a puff, he simultaneously waves his hand at the two, signaling Bowei to take the boy away—-much to the boy’s dismay. 

Xiao Zhan turns the opposite way and walks off back to his car where an anxious Li Nuo is definitely waiting. As his footsteps carry him farther away from the two, the fainter Yibo’s cries are. 

“What a headache. Typical.” The young general comments to himself. 

Yibo fiddles with his thumbs, eyes darting back and forth at Colonel Zhang and another soldier in hesitation. Colonel Zhang clears his throat and stares back at Yibo with a vexed expression on. Yibo’s eyes dart back down to the table he was previously staring at, as he becoming rather uncomfortable with the older’s glare. 

Not all is dire, though. General Xiao’s office is large and covered in costly wooden decor; it is warm and inviting. The wall directly in front of the desk Yibo is sitting at has multiple plaques and awards. Oxford University one of the plaques read. General Xiao is indeed a man of class. 

“The pictures are developing as we speak. You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.” Bowei starts, after long moments of silence.

Yibo swallows even though his throat is extremely dry from crying for the past thirty minutes. The teen’s eyes flutter back up and make eye contact with Bowei, who is still glaring back at the younger. 

“But I have to say, twerp, you’re lucky you ran into General Xiao and not some other General.” Bowei says as he lets out a scoff. “ General Xiao isn’t your typical power hungry, overweight uncle that will kill anything that defies him. But don’t expect just a slap on the wrist either. Punishment will be given.” 

Yibo looks up at Bowei and furrows his dark eyebrows in disdain. “For all I know, this punishment will be to cut off all of my fingers.” the teen mocks. 

Bowei practically spits when he sneers at the teen. “What, do you want to have your fingers cut off? I can arrange that easily.” the older mocks back. 

Before Bowei can raise a hand to slap the defiant teen, the door to the office suddenly swings open. Yibo jumps a bit, startled. 

“Sir!” The two soldiers salute, taken aback. 

Yibo turns his dizzying head to the right, eyes now locked on the approaching Xiao Zhan. In Xiao Zhan’s white-gloved hands, he grips a couple of photos. Yibo swallows a gulp of air once more. 

Xiao Zhan walks up to Yibo--his black leather boots producing loud thudding sounds on the oak floors. The young general pulls up a chair and sits down directly in front of the cowering teen. Xiao Zhan once again sighs heavily; perhaps his tenth exasperated sigh today. The same gloved hand that held the photos is now throwing the photos down onto the wooden desk. Yibo can’t help but look at the photos; it’s not as if his eyes have any other choice. It’s either to make uncomfortable eye contact with the young General Xiao or stare blankly at his own photos of ‘treason’. 

“You said you want to be a journalist?” Xiao Zhan asks, his tone in slight ridicule. “Look at these photos. All of them are blurry.” he details, index finger pointing at each and every photo. 

Yibo bites his lip. 

“I don’t know whether or not to be glad that these photos are blurry. It’s as if you were running while you taking them.”

“I was…” Yibo replies. 

“Because you knew you were doing something wrong.” Xiao Zhan divulges. 

Yibo falls silent. Although they’re in the middle of a rather chilly Fall, Yibo ironically feels a drop of sweat trickle down his temple. The teen gulps for the third time. 

Xiao Zhan lets out a soft breath of air, the cool air hitting Yibo’s folded hands. Yibo looks up at the older. Xiao Zhan takes off his peaked cap and his ink-black fringes fall right above his straight brows. Yibo then realizes just how young General Xiao is as he is taking in the clearly-lit features of the older. The young general looks to be no older than his early twenties. His skin is pale, but his cheeks are flushed in pink. His eyes, although melancholic in gaze, are almost feminine. There is also a peculiar beauty mark right below his lips. 

Xiao Zhan makes eye contact with the younger, causing Yibo to cower once again.

“I asked my men to do some research on you. Your father is Wang Yong, no? He owns a textile factory.” Xiao Zhan states.

Yibo lightly nods his head. 

Xiao Zhan leans back into his seat. He pulls out his cigarette pack from his pants and lights up his last cigarette. The burning aroma creeps into Yibo’s sensitive nose and he tries not to sneeze. 

“I’m going to be frank with you, Yibo.” Xiao Zhan says in between puffs of smoke. “I am not the person to jail or torture a child. My men told me you’re only sixteen. My morals supersede my supposed duty. I can’t and I won’t send you to jail.”

Yibo quickly jolts his head up, eyebrows raised in query. “General Xiao, I-”

“The photos came out terribly.” Xiao Zhan cuts him off. “They are useless material. I can just burn the photos alongside with the roll of film…” the young general stops speaking and leans closer to Yibo. “However, I’m not going to let you off that easily, kid. You still trespassed and breached very confidential information.”

“I know, sir…” Yibo’s lips quiver.

“So, my proposal is that you can go home and take your camera with you with the exception that your father promises to give us two-hundred free military uniforms. If you cannot convince your father to do this, then you can stay in the local jail for a couple of days until your father agrees.”

Yibo’s eyes widen. “Two-hundred?! Free?” he repeats.

“You heard me, kid.”

Yibo’s hands clench. “Yes, my father owns a textile factory but he isn’t a millionaire. With the ongoing invasions and recession, we barely make enough to-”

Xiao Zhan gets up from his seat and looks down at Yibo. “There’s an incoming war, kid. It’s not just an invasion. The Chinese Republic is ill prepared and we need more soldiers and equipment--uniforms included. Two-hundred uniforms and you can go home. That’s the deal.” Xiao Zhan asserts. 

Xiao Zhan puts out his cigarette into a glass cup and walks away, barely able to hear Yibo’s protests. 

“That is completely unfair!!” Yibo shouts after Xiao Zhan. The young general shuts the door and his footsteps grow lighter and lighter. 

Yibo’s bottom lip quivers more strongly now. Bowei cannot help but let out a snicker. 

“You don’t have the right to cry, kid. You’re too mischievous. Thanks to you, General Xiao is now late for his engagement meeting.” Bowei says.

“Engagement?” Yibo mutters to himself.

Bowei rolls his eyes. “Men and women get engaged. That can’t be a surprise to you?”

Yibo slumps into his seat and rests his head onto his folded arms. “I can’t possibly make my Papa agree. He’ll kill me.” he worries, tears falling from his eyes and onto the desk. 

Bowei snorts in amusement. He walks up to Yibo and sits himself down in front of the younger. “You’re really something, kid. Anyone else would have jailed you, or worse, killed you. You can’t be thankful? General Xiao is too kind to you.”

Yibo’s solemn expression grows into an angered one. “Your great general is asking a sixteen year old for something impossible. Wow, praise the deities. He’s so kind.” he mocks. “I’ll just rot in jail.”

Bowei shakes his head and inhales deeply. “I give up. I’m leaving for lunch.” he grunts. “Sergeant, watch over this twerp.” Bowei commands

“Sir, yes sir!” the young soldier salutes. 

Yibo’s eyes follow Bowei out the door. The door is shut close. With the fleeting sound of Bowei's footsteps, Yibo's hope of going home is also carried away with it.


	2. Consequences.

Chapter 2. Consequences. 

Rapid footsteps echo throughout the Grand East Bay restaurant. Xiao Zhan rips his cap off of his head and quickly fixes his finicky fringes. He rushes up the wooden steps and pushes open the doors to the private lounge; the place where his future fiance and his definitely angered father are sitting. Xiao Zhan did not even want to think about how angry his future father-in-law must be. They all have been waiting for over thirty minutes. 

The doors creak open rather loudly, much to Xiao Zhan’s dismay. “Father,” Xiao Zhan starts as he catches his breath. “I’m sorry I am late.” he apologizes.

Sitting around a wooden table are his father, an elderly gentleman in black, and a woman dressed in a beige qipao. All three pairs of eyes are staring directly at Xiao Zhan. The young general cannot help but clear his throat from the pressure. 

“No need to be sorry, General Xiao.” the elderly man in black speaks. He waves his hands for Xiao Zhan to come over. “Come, sit. My future son in law must sit and have a cup of tea.” he welcomes. 

“I am so sorry. There was an...incident at my office.” Xiao Zhan explains. He bows apologetically. Xiao Zhan’s eyes glaze over at his father, who is sipping on tea and avoiding eye contact. 

Xiao Zhan rather awkwardly struts over to sit down in between his father and his supposed future father-in-law. As he sits down, he glances over at his future fiance sitting opposite to him. Her face is lowered and the glaring sunlight obstructs some of her features from being seen. 

“Wow! I am impressed, Xiao Yifeng.” the elderly man laughs loudly, wrinkles forming underneath his eyes. “You never mentioned to me how tall and handsome your son is! I guess generals produce the most handsome sons!” he compliments as he lightly slaps Xiao Zhan’s shoulder in glee. 

Xiao Yifeng forces a smile onto his thinning lips. “Li Junkai, you’re too kind. My boy Xiao Zhan takes after his mother, afterall.” he replies. 

Junkai laughs heartily once more. His eyes widen when he remembers his daughter has been silent for quite a while now. “Oh! Right.” Junkai mumbles. “Mina, don’t be rude. Say something. Introduce yourself.” he practically scolds. 

The woman in beige named Mina hesitantly lifts her head. She gives Xiao Zhan a quick glance before fluttering her eyes down onto her tea cup. “It’s my pleasure to meet you, General Xiao.” she greets. Her voice is as soft as a feather. Xiao Zhan is able to make out her features. Her face is plain, but pleasant. Her hair is curled and styled and her skin is translucently pale. 

Xiao Zhan smiles tightly. “No, no it’s my pleasure Ms. Li.” he responds. The awkward tension circled the room like fumes. 

Junkai looks at his daughter and back to Xiao Zhan. He coughs. “Let's order some food and talk about the arrangements? I’m sure the two kids can get to know each other better this way.” he suddenly says. 

“Good idea.” Yifeng agrees. 

Xiao Zhan forces another tight smile. Out of habit, he reaches for his cigarette packet but stops once he realizes he’s in front of unfamiliar people. Rather, he then takes the tea cup in front of him and gulps down the hot liquid in a rush. Nervous habits die hard.

“What’s your father’s extension?” Bowei asks, his head supporting the speaker of the phone between his left shoulder. Bowei looks over at Yibo when he hears nothing from the younger. “Don’t make me repeat myself, kid. I rushed my lunch break to deal with you.” he sneers. 

Yibo’s nostril flare. He lets out a short breath and turns his head away. “Just cuff me right now, sir. No point in calling my Papa. He’ll most likely let me die in jail than give out two-hundred free uniforms.”

Bowei grumbles something unintelligible. “Your father’s extension.” he repeats through clenched teeth.

Yibo frowns at Bowei. “You’re bullying a pitiful child, sir. That’s not okay.”

“Pitiful child my ass. When I was sixteen, I was already out working. You’re a privileged twerp, that’s what you are.” the older responds with a scoff. 

Yibo rolls his eyes. “What was that? A millenia ago?” he laughs to himself. 

Bowei’s mouth drops open. He slams the phone down onto the table. “You’re truly a little devil.” he yells, finger pointing at the slouching Yibo. 

“What time is it? A quarter past five if my calculations are correct.” Yibo hums to himself. “My Papa is most definitely wondering where I am now.”

Bowei shakes his head in frustration and sits himself onto a stool. He glares over at Yibo.“Hey kid, if you want to make things complicated, then so be it. I’ll just phone General Xiao to come back to his office to deal with you personally.”

“He doesn’t have time. Didn’t you hear? He has an engagement meeting.” Yibo slyly replies. 

Bowei shakes his head even harder, letting out a sigh of disbelief. “You don’t get it, do you? I mean, he can personally escort you back home and tell your father on his own behalf.”

Yibo immediately sits up straight. “Wha-what do you mean?” he stutters. 

The older laughs, surprising Yibo. “I told you before! General Xiao is a generous and kind man---but push him, he will teach you your lesson. It was merciful of him to have you call your own father. At least then you could have made up a silly lie. But now, you leave me no choice but to call General Xiao. There is no room for wiggling now, kid.” Bowei explains with a smirk. 

Yibo pushes his seat back with his legs, standing up straight. 

Bowei slowly looks up at Yibo in amusement. “What, kid?” 

Yibo clenches his fists, eyes looking straight forward. His gaze quickly averts to a perplexed Bowei but then back onto the wall in front of him. Yibo’s breathing is laboured, but he has made up his mind. He’s going to try and escape. If General Xiao were to escort him back home personally, he would really die in the hands of his father. Is sprinting past an armed soldier considered ‘The Art Of Surprise’, is that what they call it?

Before Bowei can stand up from his seat, Yibo charges for the door. The teen practically breaks the door open and dashes out into the hallway. Bowei stumbles to his feet in shock and falls onto the wooden floors. 

“S-somebody chase after him!!” he yells. 

Two other colonels open their office doors after hearing the ruckus and look to their left. They see a skinny high school boy barely skidding about with his heavy oxfords. 

“Somebody grab that twerp!!” Bowei shouts again as he quickly picks himself up from the floor. The two other colonels begin confusingly chasing after Yibo. 

Yibo is panting heavily, sweat trickling down his cheeks and into his white shirt. He abruptly turns a corner and continues running for his life. 

“You’re dead after this! For real this time!” Bowei screams.

“Stop this instant!” other voices shout after Yibo. 

Yibo is cursing inside his head, cursing his stupid heavy oxfords that make running near impposile. He tries to run faster, but as he looks down at his feet, he notices his shoelaces coming undone. “Oh god, please don’t” Yibo whimpers to himself--but there is no time to tie them. Yibo closes his eyes momentarily and continues running, preparing to fall over at any moment. 

Bowei speeds up and reaches out to grab a hold of Yibo’s collar. However, much to Bowei’s surprise, Yibo falls to the ground before his hand could even touch the boy. 

The teen yelps and he falls face first onto the marble floors. Bowei and the other colonels halt in their steps and stare down at Yibo in bewilderment. The teen is grimacing in pain, struggling to get up. Bowei reaches down and grabs Yibo by his collar and pulls the teen up. 

“Thought you could run, twerp?” the older pants. “...Guess karma is real.” he remarks with a smirk, eyes on Yibo’s undone shoelaces. 

Xiao Zhan can barely eat. He has taken maybe seven bites of his food in total. As his father and his possible future father-in-law continuously talk about politics and business, Xiao Zhan and Mina are completely silent and haven’t exchanged conversation for a while. 

“Your son is twenty-two, my daughter is twenty. Two years apart---that’s perfect! That will surely bring luck to the marriage. Her mother and I are six years and we bicker all the time-”

The creaking of the door interrupts Junkai’s sentence. A waiter comes in, bowing apologetically. Xiao Zhan turns around, along with the other three. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s a phone call demanding to speak to a General Xiao. The gentleman said his name is Zhang Bowei.” the waiter says.

Xiao Zhan raises an eyebrow. “I’m General Xiao”.

A heavy sigh can be heard. “What is this? We’re in the middle of a gathering.” Yifeng interjects in annoyance. “Xiao Zhan, leave your work matters at work. Now is not the time.” he directs to his son.

“I’m sorry father, but Bowei never calls me unless it’s something rather urgent.” Xiao Zhan replies, head turning back to his upset father. 

“I’m sure it’s important. I don’t mind.” Junkai sheepishly laughs. 

Yifeng huffs, his face reddening. “ Make it quick. Go downstairs and come right back up.”

“Yes, father.” says Xiao Zhan. He bows to excuse himself and follows the waiter out and downstairs. 

The waiter hands Xiao Zhan the phone. “Bowei?” Xiao Zhan answers. 

“We have a situation, sir.” Bowei sighs. 

Xiao Zhan can’t help but to run his hand through his hair, another nervous habit he unfortunately has. “Did you accidentally kill the kid?” Xiao Zhan whispers. 

“What?! No!” Bowei denies loudly. He is quiet for a few seconds. “So….the kid has a big bruise on his right cheek.”

“What?” Xiao Zhan replies, eyes narrowing. 

“Okay, so he tried to escape and somehow, he tripped and fell before I could catch and he landed right on his face. I swear I didn’t do anything to him.”

Xiao Zhan furrows his brows. “How is that bruising any concern of mine?” he asks. 

Xiao Zhan can hear Bowei exhale heavily. “Well, sir, initially I didn’t want to call until after your engagement meeting, but I just found out that that idiot sergeant Yang who was supposed to be holding on the films and photos, burned them because he thought you said to burn them. He misheard. Now we just look like corrupt officials who kidnapped a sixteen year old for fun and beat him up. Our evidence is gone.”

Xiao Zhan’s lips thin in concern, or is it annoyance? “Well what do you want me to do now? I’m not the most readily available man right now. I have a-”

“Yes, an engagement meeting, I know, sir. I’m sorry. But I need you to come back to the office right after this meeting. We need a resolution.” Bowei interrupts. 

Xiao Zhan clenches his jaw and touches his hair again. “Yes, I got it.” he says. Xiao Zhan hangs up and thanks the waiter. He then hesitantly walks back up the stairs to once again be trapped in unwanted conversation. 

Xiao Zhan opens the lounge door but is surprised to see only Mina sitting there. Mina looks up from sipping her tea and smiles meekily at Xiao Zhan. Her smile brightens up her face a lot more. 

She looks over at the empty seat where her father was sitting before. “My father thought it would be a good idea to leave us alone. Your father agreed” she begins. There is a tone of amusement in her voice.

Xiao Zhan smiles back at her awkwardly. He sits down across from her, eyes locked on the table as he is unable to fully look at her. “I guess they really want us to get to know each other.” he comments quietly. 

Mina places her tea cup down and leans forward. For the first time, Xiao Zhan gets a woft of her sweet rose perfume. He looks back up at her. Mina is smiling warmly at him. 

“Can I be honest, General Xiao?” she asks. 

Xiao Zhan clears his throat. “Uhm, yes, of course.” he replies back. Xiao Zhan unconsciously touches his hair once more. 

Mina begins to fiddle with the ends of her handkerchief she held with her other hand. She looks directly at Xiao Zhan. 

“I know you and me both do not want to get married. I can see it in your eyes.” Mina reveals. 

The young general’s eyes grew large. “What do you mean? How-”

“I already have a boyfriend.” Mina proclaims, now leaning back into her seat. “ My father despises him, though. It’s because my lover is a low ranking soldier. My father can’t be bothered with his mogel name being tarnished over his ‘well-educated’ daughter marrying lower than her social rank.” she says with a scoff. Mina smiles at Xiao Zhan again. “But the sad thing is, I don’t think we have much of a choice, do we?”

Xiao Zhan cracks a genuine smile. “And here I thought you were being quiet because you were shy. I see now.” he chuckles. Xiao Zhan takes a quick sip of his now cold tea. “You’re right though, Ms. Li. I do not want to get married. Not for a while. We’re about to go to war. I cannot even guarantee if I’ll live past the age of thirty. My last interest is marriage.” 

Mina laughs. Her laugh is softer than her voice. “Then hey, can we make an agreement? Before the two prideful men come back?” she requests as she leans in again. “If we were to get forced into marriage--which is highly likely--we can be legally married but we can also freely date whomever we want in secrecy.” 

Xiao Zhan almost snorts in hilarity. “Sure thing, Ms. Li.” he chuckles. 

Yibo’s face is uncomfortably stiff from crying all afternoon. The tears have dried up and nestled in pores. The teen wrinkles his nose and pats his cheeks, but grimaces in pain as he forgets there is a large purple and blue bruise on his right cheekbone. Bowei snickers at the teen.

“General Xiao should be here any minute now. Brace your sorry ass. Your father is not going to hear the end of your mischief tonight.” Bowei hums. 

Yibo does not reply. He just sits in silence. Bowei rolls his eyes and turns on the radio; a quaint pleasant song plays in the background. 

As the two are distracted by the music, the office door swings open. Bowei turns his body and immediately stands up. “Sir!” Bowei practically croaks. 

Yibo looks to the side and sees the familiar General Xiao, but this time, without his gloves and cap. Needless to say, Yibo is still intimidated by the tall general. It seems to be that General Xiao always has a stern look on his pristine face. 

Xiao Zhan makes an odd facial expression at Yibo, perhaps one of disdain. He then looks over at Bowei who seems sheepish. “We’re taking this child back to his parents. I’m sure I can explain to them.” Xiao Zhan says to Bowei. 

“I’d rather die here than die in the hands of my Papa.” Yibo protests. 

“Nobody asked for your opinion, you little devil.” Bowei says, teeth gritted. 

Xiao Zhan can’t help but laugh softly. Yibo stares at the elder in confusion, his eyes fixated on the elder now because Xiao Zhan’s smiling face is so much brighter than his resting expression. “W-What’s so funny?” the younger asks. 

“You’re acting as if you have a choice,” Xiao Zhan explains. “You’re coming with us, kid.”

Yibo’s confused look quickly turns into a flustered one; but before he can fall completely silent again, his own stomach betrays him. A loud growling sound erupts and practically bounces off the walls. Xiao Zhan peers over at Yibo, completely entertained at the sight of the teen blushing. 

“Bowei, get him some food and then we head out.” 

“Sir, yes sir!”

“You know, I am a great helper. I can clean and reconstruct broken things like a genius.” Yibo rants. “Please, I can do anything you ask! It’s not too late. I can be your personal slave for a whole year if you just drop me off in front of my porch and not tell my Papa.” the teen tries to plea. 

Xiao Zhan stares ahead at the dark road, not paying Yibo any mind. Besides Xiao Zhan is Bowei who is growing increasingly annoyed at the teen in the back seat. The junior colonel grips the steering tighter and grits his teeth.

“We’re almost there.” Xiao Zhan interrupts Yibo’s ranting. “So just save your breath. No point.”

Yibo slumps into his seat and crosses his arm. “If I die by my Papa’s hands, I will write ‘General Xiao did this’ in my own blood on the floor.” he mumbles. 

Bowei suddenly bursts out into laughter, catching both the young general and the disheveled teen by surprise. Xiao Zhan stares at his partner in stupefaction. “What’s so funny, colonel?” Xiao Zhan asks. 

Bowei clears his throat in between muffled laughs. “I’m sorry General, it’s just...that’s such a funny mental image.” he practically chokes. 

Xiao Zhan gives Bowei another judgement-filled stare, then his eyes revert back onto the dark cobble road. 

It takes about another five minutes before the Jeep parks just outside the Wang household. Xiao Zhan sticks his head out of the window to get a better look at the home. “Impressive.” Xiao Zhan remarks. The home is gated with clean white stairs leading up to a sizable white colored brick home. Xiao Zhan turns around to Yibo. “Don’t try anything funny, kid. I mean it.” he warns. Yibo avoids eye contact with the elder. 

Xiao Zhan steps out of the car and opens the door to the back seat. He grabs a hold of Yibo’s thin arm and pulls him out of the car. 

“Wait for me here.” Xiao Zhan says to Bowei. His junior nods. 

Yibo is dragged by the arm. “You’re hurting me.” he complains. Xiao Zhan rolls his eyes. He ignores the younger and pulls him up to the entrance gate.

“Excuse the disturbance, but I am looking for Wang Yong!” Xiao Zhan calls out loudly. Yibo cringes and tries to duck for cover but the tight grip on his arm prevents him from doing so. 

“Please don’t..” Yibo squeaks. 

It doesn’t take long before footsteps are heard. Yibo gives a pleading look to Xiao Zhan but the elder is staring straight. 

“Who is that?” a female voice responds. She comes closer to the gate and peers over through the gaps. “Yibo?” she gasps. The middle-aged woman hurriedly opens the gate. She looks at Yibo wide-eyed, then her eyes dart to Xiao Zhan--a tall man in full uniform. “What is going on?” she asks, perplexed. 

“Aunty I-” Yibo starts

“Who asked for me?” a male voice interrupts. 

Xiao Zhan glances over the middle-aged woman’s shoulder and he sees an elderly man slowly pacing over with a cane. The man’s pace quickens when he sees that Yibo, his son, is outside of the gate. 

“Wang Yibo?! Do you know what time it is?!” Wang Yong shouts. He almost stumbles as he treads over to the gate. “What in heaven did you get into this time?” Wang Yong scolds, pointing his cane at his young son.

“What is happening? Where has Yibo gone?” The woman asks once again. She is suddenly pulled aside by Wang Yong who is now standing besides her. He, too, is glancing back and forth at Xiao Zhan and his son. 

Xiao Zhan gives a quick bow. “Sir, Ma’am, I am very sorry to bother you at this hour.” he apologizes. Both the middle-aged woman and Wang Yong stare in utter shock. “My name is Xiao Zhan, I’m one of the 30th rank Generals of the Republican party.” he explains as he turns to Yibo who has his head lowered. “As you can see here, I unfortunately had your son in my custody for a whole day now. I suggest we go inside to further talk about the incident.” Xiao Zhan smiles. 

Wang Yong and the woman slowly look at each other in query. 

“S-sure…” Wang Yong agrees. 

Wang Yong slams his hand down with brute force onto the dining room table, causing the cup of tea to shake. The elderly man takes his cane and points at Yibo who is covering his head with his hands, knees pressed against the table to brace. 

“You’re lucky General Xiao is here. I would have whipped you to death if not!” Wang Yong yells. 

“Papa, I’m sorry!” Yibo pleads. 

Xiao Zhan is standing besides the dining room table entryway, unable to watch. Really, he does not even want to listen. 

“You’re never up to anything good. You skip school and you bring that idiotic western camera with you everywhere you go! I just…! I cannot deal with you, child! Your mother is sick in bed right now because she was worried sick!” Wang Yong sounds exasperated. 

Xiao Zhan clears his throat. Wang Yong and Yibo both turn to him amidst their arguing. “...If I can clarify some things, sir...your son only trespassed. We thought he was taking photos at first, but upon further inspection, he was just innocently passing by. No photos were taken.” Xiao Zhan explains.

Yibo’s eyebrows immediately raise in confusion. Is it possible that General Xiao has amnesia? Yibo opens his mouth to talk but Wang Yong cuts him off. 

“You don’t have to vouch for my ill-behaved son, General Xiao. You’re too kind.” Wang Yong says. “Rather, I must thank you, truly. You brought my boy back in one piece. Lord knows if any other general got a hold of him, they would have most definitely punished him severely.” he laughs nervously. 

Xiao Zhan chuckles. “I did what I felt was right. He should still be taught that doing things like what he did earlier will cost him his life sooner or later.”

“Yes, of course General.” Wang Yong nods eagerly. He looks back at his frowning son. “What are you doing, still saying silent? Show some manners and thank General Xiao.” he commands Yibo. 

Yibo hesitantly stands up and quickly bows at Xiao Zhan who is stone faced. “T-Thank you, General…”

“Thank you General Xiao for your kindness!” Wang Yong corrects. 

“T-Thank you General Xiao...for your kindness….” Yibo repeats in a low voice. 

Wang Yong smiles sheepishly back at Xiao Zhan, who politely smiles back. 

“There has to be something I can do for you, General Xiao. It’s really so rare for such a high ranking general like you to be so merciful and understanding.” Wang Yong offers. 

Xiao Zhan looks up at the ceiling to think, or at least he was pretending to think of something. But he knew exactly what he wanted. 

“Mr. Wang, you’ve partaken in military practice in your youth, right?” Xiao Zhan asks. 

“Yes, of course!”

“Hm, well then you can certainly understand the turmoil we face these days. The Japanese are a dire threat to us.”

“Yes, I know! They’ve been a threat since I was a young man.” Wang Yong nods. 

Xiao Zhan walks closer, his smile wider now. “There is one way to thank me. A great way, I believe. It’s actually for the greater cause of this country.”

“A-And what is that, General?”

Xiao Zhan’s smile is now bearing his pristine white teeth. “I need two-hundred military uniforms donated.” he says bluntly. 

Wang Yong’s smile drops. Yibo sighs heavily and sits back down onto his seat. 

“Two-hundred…? Donated? General Xiao, I-”

“Ah, but you asked how you can repay me. That’s the only way. Think about it, though. It will be a great gift to your nation.” Xiao Zhan cuts him off, smile still wide. 

Wang Yong turns his head to a slouching Yibo. Then, he turns back to face Xiao Zhan. 

“S-sure….General.” he hesitantly agrees, voice now croaking. 

Xiao Zhan sticks out his gloved hand, asking for Wang Yong to shake it. “Great! I’ll be expecting a delivery from your factory in two-three weeks? At the main military base by the port?”

Wang Yong takes Xiao Zhan’s hand and shakes it firmly, although his eye contact isn’t as confidently strong. “Of course, General….of course.” he agrees.

Yibo looks up at his father who is nervously smiling. The teen is mentally preparing for the worst beating of his life. 

_____________________________________________

Writer’s block is legit, y’all. I keep using the thesaurus and proofreading a million times. I'm trying to pump out as much quality content I can as fast as possible before I have to return to work next week. I hope everyone stays safe during these uncertain times. I know I will need the luck (I work in the medical field…..lol yikes). Please comment and subscribe! *I love comments*


	3. The Camera.

Chapter 3. The Camera. 

_ About two weeks later.  _

  
  


The whole table erupts in laughter. The men sitting around begin slapping their hands onto the wooden table, sending grains of rice flying every which way. Xiao Zhan, rather uncomfortably, sits in between Li Nuo and another junior sergeant; he can only awkwardly take sips of his whiskey. The soldiers’ lunch breaks are always loud and unruly, needless to say.

“I’m telling you, it only took one look for me! She looked like a horse! No way I was going to marry that woman. I’m poor but I’m not desperate.” Li Nuo cackles, spitting some of his rice out of the cracks of his teeth. 

Xiao Zhan grimaces at the dirty state of the dining table. He then murmurs something and gets up, excusing himself, but his men are all too immersed in gossip and drinks that they do not notice him attempting to escape---except Li Nuo who quickly downs his liquor and stands up to catch up to his senior. “Zhan ge, where are you going?” he calls out for the elder and follows him out the building. 

The two men make it outside to the gravel-filled courtyards of the main military base. The previous sound of laughter is now replaced by rumbling car engine noises and gunshot sounds from the newcomer soldiers practicing in the rear of the building. Li Nuo watches as Xiao Zhan pulls out his cigarette pack from his pants pocket and lights up what seems to be the fifth one in less than an hour. 

“You want one?” Xiao Zhan offers. Li Nuo shakes his head no. 

Xiao Zhan takes a long inhale on the cigarette and then exhales loudly, the white smoke emerging from his nostrils and his pink lips. The smoke creeps onto Li Nuo and he waves his gloved hands in front of him to disperse it. 

“What are you stressed about now?” Li Nuo asks. 

Xiao Zhan purses his lips. He takes another puff of his cigarette and looks off into the courtyard. “Her name is Mina, by the way. I don’t know if I mentioned that earlier.” he starts.

“That woman you had an engagement meeting with?”

Xiao Zhan nods. He throws his cigarette onto the floor and steps on it. His eyes are still on the courtyard. “Just yesterday I heard from my father that the wedding has been finalized. I’m getting married in one month.” his voice is monotone. 

Li Nuo begins laughing. He playfully slaps Xiao Zhan’s shoulder. “Well congrats, Zhan ge! Am I going to have nieces and nephews soon?” he asks in glee. Li Nuo’s smile slightly drops when he sees his Zhan ge not smiling back, but merely staring forward. 

Xiao Zhan puts both of his hands into his pants pocket and shakes his head. “Me and her are forced into this, Li Nuo. My last concern is marriage and taking care of children. Who knows if I’ll die next week? Or today?” he bursts. 

Li Nuo releases his hand from Xiao Zhan’s shoulder. “Oh….” he murmurs. 

“Besides, I can’t live with the fact that if I do get killed in battle, my future wife will be widowed and desolate. I really do not understand what my father is thinking-” Xiao Zhan stops himself. He looks at Li Nuo. “No, actually, I know exactly what he’s thinking. He wants more status. As if being the top ranking general himself in all of Shanghai isn’t good enough for his old age, he wants to marry off his only son to a weaponry mogul for monetary gain!” 

The sergeant cannot help but grimace a bit, having this being one of the few times he’s seen Xiao Zhan genuinely upset. Xiao Zhan indeed looks like a different person when he is angered. Li Nuo raises a shaky hand and pats Xiao Zhan’s shoulder. “I’m sure things will work out-”

“You know, Li Nuo, not once during my whole childhood did I remember my father actually caring about me. He’s always cared about grades or how well I did during training but never actually sat down to have dinner with me or my mother and ask about our day. Now he has the audacity to decide my love life for me. You know, I fucking joined the military for him, not for myself, but for him. I wanted him to praise me, but to this day at twenty-two, I still haven’t heard one word of encouragement. ”

Li Nuo is silent, but his hand is still resting on his partner’s shoulder in reassurance. 

Xiao Zhan exhales and his eyes drop onto the ground. “Why am I even talking to you about this....I don’t even have a choice but to go through with things….”

Li Nuo thins his lips, unsure of what to say, really. “....Uhm, Zhan ge, if you want my opinion, I think that you do have a choice. There’s always divorce….” he mutters. 

Xiao Zhan looks up at his partner with a judgmental stare. “Okay, sure. Then my father definitely won’t shoot me in the foot.”

“General Xiao!” a voice calls out, interrupting the two men. The two turn around and see a newcomer soldier running up to them.“General Xiao, Sergeant Li!” the soldier salutes. 

Xiao Zhan nods in acknowledgment. “You need me?” he responds. 

The soldier nods. “There’s a teenage boy outside of the gates with a large truck, demanding to come in. He says he knows you. He says he’s making a delivery of….uniforms?” he reports, eyebrows raised in suspicion. 

The young general slightly squints. “Did he give you a name?”

“No.” the soldier shakes his head. “He refused to say…” 

Xiao Zhan can’t help but let on a smirk. “It’s okay. Let him in. Make sure to drive the truck to the back of the base and have the boy come into my office. I’ll be there myself in about ten minutes.”

The soldier salutes quickly. “Sir, yes sir!”

Li Nuo curiously watches the soldier walk away, then his gaze focuses back on Xiao Zhan. “Uniforms? You bought more?” he asks. 

The older smiles and shakes his head no. “This is how I know you never listen. Didn’t I tell you about that Yibo kid? He owes us free uniforms.”

Li Nuo’s face reddens. “Oh, right!” he says loudly. “Sorry….I, uh….I don’t listen.”

“You can wait for me at the cafeteria or you can come with me. I don’t mind either.” Xiao Zhan offers. 

“I want to come, Zhan ge! I have to see what this mischievous kid looks like.”

  
  
  


Yibo’s busy eyes look left and right then up and down, observing and taking in all of the extravagant decor of Xiao Zhan’s office. The first time being trapped in here, Yibo hadn't really had the true opportunity to take in all of the details of the office--but now as his brown eyes roam around freely, he notices a few interesting things. First thing that catches his eyes is the black and white photo resting atop of the fireplace. He can barely make out the features of the two people, but he is positive it’s a photo of General Xiao in his uniform and what can be guessed as his mother. Next to the photo is a black pistol--loaded or not, Yibo is impressed. It’s probably General Xiao’s, he thinks to himself. 

The sudden sound of someone clearing his throat loudly interrupts Yibo. The teen looks over at Bowei who is leaning against the wall. “Had a good enough look?” Bowei comments, stare laden with annoyance. Before Yibo could open his mouth to give a snarky response, Bowei speaks again. “It’s like I’m cursed with having to deal with you, kid. I should have known it was you the moment I saw a boy in school uniform.”

Yibo shuts his mouth close and slumps into his seat. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry.” he says halfheartedly. 

Bowei shakes his head in disappointment, but his expression is of mockery. “You got a beating from your old man, I bet. For someone that was so loud and obnoxious just a few weeks ago, you’re awfully quiet.” he snickers. “You can even apologize? I truly believe in god now.” Bowei laughs, clapping his hands. 

Yibo’s unconsciously pouts his lower lip in protest, about to stand up to refute Bowei’s degrading claims--but then the door opens. 

Xiao Zhan steps in first, his boots creating familiar thudding sounds. Yibo nervously stands up, eyes lowered on the floor. The teen hesitantly bows at Xiao Zhan who, funnily enough, does not even notice. 

“Sir!” Bowei salutes. 

“Colonel Zhang!” Li Nuo salutes at Bowei. 

Yibo hears the unfamiliar voice. He glances over at another pair of black combat boots. His eyes then roam upwards and see a soldier he hasn’t seen yet. The unfamiliar soldier is staring right back at him. Yibo immediately looks back down at the unassuming wooden floors. 

“So, this is the trouble-maker.” Li Nuo comments. “He’s a lot taller than I thought. Aren’t sixteen year olds supposed to be shorter than this?”

“Shush,” Xiao Zhan cuts his partner off. Li Nuo quickly ceases his speech and awkwardly backs up next to Bowei. 

Xiao Zhan steps up to Yibo, who is refusing to make eye contact. The older one is hush for a moment. Yibo is suspicious of the silence and tentatively looks up; his eyes then lock on a semi-automatic pistol securely strapped onto Xiao Zhan’s narrow waist by a black leather belt. Yibo audibly gulps at the sight of the weapon. 

“You know, you could have just sent someone else to drop off the uniforms. Why are you here? To cause us more trouble?” Xiao Zhan questions. 

Yibo takes a quick glimpse at the elder. Xiao Zhan’s usual melancholic gaze has been replaced with one of mirth. 

“I-Well, my-uh….” Yibo begins, stuttering heavily. He clears his throat and levels his eyes with Xiao Zhan, who is only a couple of inches taller. “I came here to apologize...formally, that is.” he states. 

Bowei chuckles in the background. Xiao Zhan ignores the laughter and just stares at Yibo with an untelling expression. “You already did. Two weeks ago at your home.” the elder replies, now taking notice of the almost faded bruise on the younger’s cheek.

Yibo bites his bottom lip in frustration. “No….Well, yes I did. But this time my Papa told me to come and deliver the uniforms and also give you a formal apology.” he explains. Yibo then reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out something. He extends his clenched hand over and then opens it, revealing a sizable 24k gold bar. 

Xiao Zhan raises his eyebrow in skepticism.

“It’s my family’s way of saying thank you for not making my mistake public. It could have been trialed under suspicion of spying or treason, but you, general, you kept it hush for two weeks and my Pa-I mean I am thankful.” Yibo practically mutters. His plump cheeks grow cherry red. 

Xiao Zhan knows that this Yibo kid doesn’t truly mean any of the apologetic rhetoric he is now spewing, but it’s still a nice thought to know the kid has enough guts to at least try. 

The young general takes the gold bar from Yibo’s palm, but instead of putting it in his own pocket like Yibo thought he would, Xiao Zhan plops the heavy bar back into Yibo’s pocket. “Keep it, kid. Use it as allowance money.” Xiao Zhan says. 

Yibo frowns. “Just take it, General Xiao! I can’t go home with this still in my pocket.” he argues. 

Xiao Zhan takes a few steps back and habitually fixes his cap. He smiles at Yibo. “Then donate the gold bar to a charitable organization. Like the war orphanage a few blocks down.” Xiao Zhan offers.

The teen slumps his shoulders in defeat. “I don’t why you’re so kind.” he comments. 

Li Nuo joins Bowei in a slight snicker. Xiao Zhan hears and turns to give the two juniors a glare. 

“I’m not kind.” Xiao Zhan corrects, turning back to Yibo. “I just have basic morals.”

Yibo shakes his head in disagreement. “No, you are kind. You even lied on my behalf to my Papa! You said to him that I didn’t take any photos, but I did. Why?”

Xiao Zhan’s smile grows; he is practically laughing. “You think I was looking out for you? No, kid. I was looking out for my men and I. Some irresponsible newcomer burned the evidence. Your camera is lost, too. We didn’t want to be pinned for corruption.” he retorts. Xiao Zhan promptly turns his body away from Yibo, his hand reaching out for the door knob. “Go home, kid. We’re finished here.” he dismisses. 

As the young general twists the knob open, he gives Yibo one more look. “I saw the uniforms, by the way. Your father’s factory missed one button at the end of the jacket’s design. Other than that, tell your father that I am thankful for his donation.”

Yibo watches in silence as Xiao Zhan steps out into the corridor, following suit are the two other soldiers. Li Nuo gives Yibo another curiosity-stricken glance before he closes the door.

  
  


Yibo leaves the office about twenty-minutes after the three men. He exits the base and is about to head in the direction of home, but then stops in the middle of the crossroad. Xiao Zhan’s words float back into Yibo’s head like bubbles. 

Yibo abruptly turns left and heads for the war orphanage nearby.

  
  
  
  


Two days have passed. Yibo is sitting down in his room, a book about ancient Greece he got from the library in his lap. He is barely reading the material, but rather enjoying a juicy ripe peach in his other hand. Yibo mindlessly flips through the book, page by page, practically dripping peach juice onto each page. About to take another bite of the plump peach, Yibo suddenly stops. There is a peculiar image on the sixtieth page. Yibo narrows his eyes and leans in closer.

“Oh…” he breathes in shock when he realizes what he is looking at. 

The image is explicit, needless to say. Too explicit for Yibo’s youthful eyes. It’s a picture of an old pot, probably for plants, but the artwork etched onto it is two men having intercourse. The two bearded men are enveloped in an embrace, their arms wrapping around each other’s waist and shoulders. Both of the men have erect penises and are gazing at each other. 

Yibo’s mouth has been agape for a few minutes now. His enlarged eyes scan the image back and forth. He did not even know that men could have sexual relations with each other. Confused, Yibo reads the description. 

_ Image. 103.  _ _ This is a photograph of a centuries old pottery piece (date not exactly known, but approximately 1550 BCE) depicting romance and sexual relations between two men. In ancient Greek culture, the affluent and oftentimes older man will have sex partners of the same sex as a sign of status.  _

  
  


“Yibo!” a woman’s voice calls. “Yibo, I’m coming up!”

Yibo drops his peach in a panic. He fumbles about and slams the book close. “O-Okay Mama!” he responds back. He throws the controversial book underneath his bed upon hearing his mother’s footsteps coming up the stairs. Yibo quickly stands up from his seat and faces the door. He notices the fallen peach and quickly kicks it under the end table.

The door opens slightly ajar and Yibo’s mother peeps into the bedroom. She looks at her flustered son with an odd expression. 

“Your cheeks are incredibly red, Yibo. Are you okay?” she asks, her warm voice flooding the room. 

Yibo shakes his head nervously, his fringes tickling his forehead. “I’m fine, Mama.” he denies.

Yibo’s mother nods slowly. She mentally shrugs off the suspicion and opens the door fully. In her hands, she holds a medium-sized package wrapped in brown wrapping paper. 

“I think perhaps one of your friends sent this for your birthday next week.” she begins. “I found it in front of our front gate this morning.” 

The middle-aged woman walks closer to a still flustered Yibo, her heels clicking rhythmically. “There is no return address nor a name. It’s just addressed to you.” She says, handing Yibo the package from her petite hands. 

Yibo hesitantly takes it into his hands. He examines the package. “No...I don’t think Xiaoyang or Enze would send me gifts…they usually just give it to me in person. I wonder who….” he murmurs. 

Yibo’s mother shrugs. “I have to help your Aunty cook. I will be downstairs. You can tell me what it is later.” she smiles, turning around to walk out of the door. She shuts the door on her way. 

The confused teen sits back down onto his seat and begins ripping the brown wrapping paper away. Underneath is a plain white paper box. Yibo gets rid of the remainder of the wrappings and flips the white box open. Much to his shock, inside the box is what looks to be an older model of his lost camera. It looks used, but lightly so. The leather strap on the camera is also a little worn but still a beautiful dark wooden color. The smell of leather creeps into Yibo’s nose. It smells nostalgic. 

Yibo notices that there’s a small piece of folded paper resting next to the camera. He picks it up and unfolds it. 

_ Unfortunately, your camera model is sold out in Shanghai. I cannot replace it.  _

_ However, I found my old camera in my apartment after cleaning.  _

_ I _ _ ’m pretty certain it’s an older model of your camera. I haven’t used it since five years ago. It’s still in good-enough condition. I hope it will suffice.  _

_ -Xiao Zhan. _

The now perplexed teen rereads the note in sheer disbelief. Then, he reads it again. He continuously rereads the note until his eyes tire. What a bizarre man General Xiao is, Yibo thinks to himself. He refolds the note and places it on his desk. 

Yibo reaches in the box and takes out the old camera and checks it out. Xiao Zhan is right. The condition isn’t bad. Yibo begins smiling. Then, he is laughing softly at the thought of just how kind Xiao Zhan is, even though the general says otherwise. Yibo opens the film gate of the camera and is surprised to see an old roll of film still inside. He carefully pulls the film out with his fingers. Just upon looking briefly at the film, Yibo can tell it has been used and there are images on there. His heart skips a beat. 

“He must be actually stupid to not check the film roll….Can’t believe he left something private in here.” Yibo says to himself. 

Film roll still in hand, the anxious Yibo gets up from his seat and speeds up to his bedroom window. The sun is blaring at this hour in the noontime. Yibo unrolls the film and raises it up to the sun. He observes the images, but can only manage to squint and barely make out the images. 

“Ah, fuck. I need to develop these.” he mutters to no one. 

As if Yibo is afraid of people listening in on him, he peers around his empty room in paranoia. He rolls the film back up and gingerly places it into his trouser pocket. Mentally thanking his wealthy father for gifting him a red room in their backyard, Yibo leaves his bedroom with a mission. 

  
  
  


Waiting for the photos to develop is near torture when the seducing thought of seeing something private of General Xiao’s is looming around Yibo’s head. Like the dark red color that drowns the room in gloom, Yibo’s thoughts are also drowned--but in anticipation. The anxious teen checks his pocket watch and counts down mentally. One more minute to go. Yibo tries to not turn his curious head to peak at the developing photos. He unconsciously begins to shake his right leg repetitively--if his stern Chinese mom were to see, she would say ‘You’re shaking away all of your wealth, silly boy!’.

Yibo checks his pocket watch once more. His eyes follow the ticker of the clock like a fly attracted to light. Yibo inhales loudly when the clock finishes its round. He anxiously turns his head and looks at the four photos hanging to dry off a metal pipe. Yibo slowly treads up to the photos and cautiously gazes at them. 

The first photo is of what seems to be a teenaged Xiao Zhan, smiling brightly. His arms are wrapped around a large poodle half of his body size and he is kneeling on grass. Yibo takes the photo off the hanger and takes a closer look. The quality of the photo is good. The teen smiles unconsciously when he notices how much younger the now mature General looks. His cheeks are a lot plumper in the photo, and his eyes are in a crescent shape from smiling so brightly. 

Yibo reaches up and takes down the remainder of the photos. He slowly begins to flip through each photo. In the second photo, Xiao Zhan is smiling casually in front of a foreign looking building. His attire is casual, a plain white button-up underneath a wool sweater. The building in the background is quite large and almost gothic in appearance.

“Five years ago…?” Yibo thinks aloud. “How old is he?”

Yibo squints at the photo. He then remembers the Oxford University plaque that was hanging on the walls of Xiao Zhan’s wall. “Seems logical.” Yibo nods to himself when he adds one plus one. Xiao Zhan was posing in front of his university. Yibo cannot help but feel a bit envious of the elder. Not every ordinary gentleman can afford to go to school abroad. 

Yibo flips to the third photo. In this one, Xiao Zhan is not smiling nor is he in casual clothes. He is in a white coat. The background looks to be a lab, very similar to the chemistry lab rooms Yibo depises at his high school. Xiao Zhan is concentrating on what he is doing, facing away from the camera. Only his side profile is visible, but strangely, he looks happier there than he does in real life now. 

Flipping to the last photo, Yibo suddenly bursts out in laughter. Completely taken aback by the absurd image in front of him, Yibo cannot believe stern General Xiao can also have a silly side. In the photo, the younger Xiao Zhan is making a silly face, his eyes crossing and his tongue sticking out. Besides him are young foreign men and women, Caucasian in appearance, making similar if not funnier facial expressions. 

“I guess this was during his days at university.” Yibo realizes, his laughter still apparent. 

A knock against the red room door disrupts Yibo. He jumps a bit upon hearing it. 

“Yibo! Are you deaf? Aunty called you multiple times to come and eat!” Yibo’s mother calls. 

“I-I’m coming!” Yibo responds back. He quickly bunches the photos into one pile and shoves it underneath his trousers, having no pockets big enough to fit them. He then awkwardly waddles to the door. 

  
  
  


Xiao Zhan gets home a bit late tonight. Entering into his studio apartment, he shuts the door with a satisfying ‘bang’ and kicks off his hard leather boots. He then throws himself face first onto his bed--the springs creak upon impact. Xiao Zhan turns his body around and takes a deep breath in. He rips his white gloves off and unbuttons the two top buttons of his light-blue uniform. 

The tired general stares up blankly at the white ceilings. He can hear the leaking pipe drip droplets of water in his kitchen sink. Xiao Zhan becomes restless and he sits up. He takes his cap off and ruffles his hair. His head hurts from having a cap on all day and he sighs in relief when his fingers massage his scalp. He gets up from his bed and walks over to the kitchen as he has not had dinner. There are dirty dishes in the sink and stained coffee cups laiden all over the counter. The general sighs in defeat. He turns back around and sits down on his grey couch. 

Looking at his old apartment, Xiao Zhan mentally curses at himself for being too prideful and for not taking up on his father’s offer of paying for a higher-end apartment in the east of Shanghai. The walls of this apartment are peeling paint, the bed is creaky and the sink is always broken. To even shower, he has to wait for over three minutes to get the water to be hot enough.

Xiao Zhan feels defeated. He feels it in his bones. 

Outside, the warning siren is blaring again as a test run. Xiao Zhan gets up from his couch and makes his way to the only window in the apartment, right above his kitchen table. He forces the creaky window open and sticks his head out. The cool and foggy air of the night hits his nose and cheeks. 

He is used to hearing this siren. Really, everyone in this neighborhood is used to hearing this siren. It used to send shivers down his spine when he was a child, but now it only registers as background noise. Xiao Zhan secretly anticipates the day the sirens are not a test run; he has been prepared for practically his entire life. He does not mind dying, but he does mind how he dies. 

The tired Xiao Zhan’s eyes find its way to a jewelry pawn shop he always sees right across his apartment. However, only tonight through the street lights does he notice that it's named “Wang’s Jewelry Pawn”.

An image of Yibo’s cherry red face flashes by in Xiao Zhan’s head. He unconsciously chuckles to himself when he remembers the shameful boy trying to apologize with a gold bar. 

“That fucking kid.” Xiao Zhan laughs faintly. 

He gazes out the window once more, a smile on his face as faint as the fog in the air. 

  
  


__________________________________________________________________

Oh my god, I haven’t done this much research on history since high school. Fun fact, I am half Chinese, half Japanese LOL (what a controversial mix, I know...). I had to call my maternal grandma who lived through a small portion of the Republican era in China for more accuracy. I really need to learn more about my roots! Luckily, though, I can speak Chinese fluently. Japanese….not so much lol.

Anyway, enjoy! 

I enjoy your feedback and welcome more commentators! I will try to reply to them, haha. 


	4. The Sirens.

Chapter 4. The Sirens.

  
  


_ One week passes. _

  
  


“I guess I should call you older brother now.” a male voice says jokingly.

Yibo rolls his eyes, but his lips are curled up in a smile. Next to him are two of his best friends, Chen Enze and Luo Xiaoyang. The trio are walking side by side down the school hallway, making their way to the main exitway to head home. Their footsteps are practically synched and so is their loud laughter. 

Enze lazily slings an arm around Yibo’s shoulder. He looks over at the older and raises a bushy eyebrow in mischevy. “Since you’re seventeen now, are you going to talk to Ruolan?” he asks with a snicker.

Yibo looks over at his friend with furrowed brows. “Who?” he replies. 

Xiaoyang also raises an eyebrow, but in shock. “Who??” he repeats loudly. “Yibo, you’ve got to be kidding me. Ruolan, that beautiful senior that is always in the library! With the long curly hair and huge breasts? You haven’t noticed her looking at you these past few weeks?” he interjects, completely perplexed. 

Yibo stops in his tracks. His two friends abruptly stop with him, too. “What? I literally have no idea who you’re talking about.” Yibo practically laughs. Really, he hasn’t a clue who she is. 

Both Enze and Xiaoyang slowly turn to look at each other in hesitancy. Enze begins to frown. “Ge, can I call you Ge out of respect? Because wow, you’re actually blind.” he blurts. 

The older of the two gasps a bit, offended. 

Xiaoyang shakes his head, noticeably disappointed. “You’ve been studying so much to the point that you’re actually becoming dense. I can’t believe you don’t even know who Liu Ruolan is. She’s like the prettiest girl in the whole school. Her parents are doctors? She lives two blocks down from you? She’s been ogling at you for a good month now??” Xiaoyang says, waving his hands around as he is confused as to why or how Yibo never noticed. 

Yibo thins his lips. He raises a hand and scratches the back of his head. “Wow, uhm….I don’t think….I ever really noticed but now that you mention, yeah, I have seen her a couple of times.” he mutters. 

The two friends shake their heads simultaneously. Enze then sighs dramatically. “I turn seventeen next month...so I guess that gives me an excuse to talk to Ruolan.” he smiles goofily. 

“As if she would ever go for you! You’re so short!” Xiaoyang snorts. Enze slaps Xiaoyang’s arm with force, causing the other to wince. 

The two begin bickering back and forth but Yibo is only pacing slowly behind them. Yibo unconsciously tilts his head to the side as he is confused--heavily confused, actually. He wonders why he has never actually noticed Ruolan if his friends are fiening over her at this level. Perhaps he isn’t as mature as he once thought he was. Perhaps seventeen is still just a mere number. Whatever it is, though, has Yibo a bit worried. He quietly paces behind his two friends as they walk out of the school and into the streets. 

  
  


The three friends are chatting and practically loitering by a candied-fruits food stall. The streets of central Shanghai are still bustling and busy, cars and rickshaws alike zooming past every given minute. An occupied Yibo reaches into his shoulder bag for change. He gives the vendor three coins with one hand and takes three sticks of candied hawthorns with the other. 

“Wow, so generous.” Enze jokes as he takes one of the sticks of fruit.

Yibo chuckles. “I’m older than both of you now, so I’ll treat you guys.”

“You mean richer, too?” Xiaoyang adds. 

Yibo habitually slaps Xiaoyang’s shoulder in a joking manner and the younger slaps him back. The three begin their banter once more until the childish banter turns into a typical bickering session about how much they despise their English teacher, Mrs. Chen. 

As the three friends continue to talk about their day, Yibo is distracted by the revving engine of a Jeep nearby. He turns his head and is almost startled to see an all-too-familiar Xiao Zhan step out of a navy green Jeep. The distracted teen stops eating his candied-fruit and just stares at the elder who is a bit too far away to notice Yibo. Xiao Zhan is in his usual pale blue uniform, his lengthy legs perfectly fitted in his trousers and a pistol secured around his slim waist with a belt. The elder’s face is covered by the shadow his peaked cap casted, but Yibo is still certain it’s Xiao Zhan. The young general leans over to say something to what looks like the same soldier Yibo saw last time. Then, Xiao Zhan walks off. 

“Yibo?” Enze calls out. “Yibo?” he repeats. 

Yibo blinks a few times and turns to face his friend. 

“I said, do you want to head over to have dinner at my home tonight? My mom is making some-”

“No! I mean, uh I’m sorry Enze, not tonight. I have to go.” Yibo interrupts. He takes one last bite of the fruit and hands Enze the empty stick in a hurry. Enze takes the sticky wooden stick without much thought, but makes a face of disgust when he realizes he’s holding it.

Enze is about to yell at Yibo, but is unable to when he sees that Yibo is running away into the main street. 

“Where are you going?!” Xiaoyang calls after him, instead. Yibo is too far or maybe too un-bothered to answer.

  
The two bewildered friends watch as Yibo’s body grows smaller with each step. Enze then shrugs and throws the stick on the floor. 

  
  


A few blocks down, Yibo almost runs into an eldery woman trying to chase after Xiao Zhan. 

“General Xiao!” Yibo calls out. His legs are not long enough to catch up to Xiao Zhan whose mere steps are almost as fast as him running. “General!” Yibo calls out again, his leather shoulder bag hitting his right hip with every sprint. 

Xiao Zhan halts in his steps when he hears a familiar voice call his name. The curious Xiao Zhan looks over in the direction of the voice and is surely stricken with deja vu when he sees Yibo in his school uniform, running directly towards him. Xiao Zhan is starting to believe luck is not on his side.

“General Xiao!” Yibo calls out one last time as he stops in his tracks. The teen cannot help but to rest his hands on his knees as he pants. “You walk incredibly fast, you know that?” he breathes, looking up at Xiao Zhan’s expressionless face. 

Xiao Zhan crosses his arms; not in defense, but rather, in surmise of a ploy. He continues to observe the panting Yibo. “Is there something you need?” the elder asks, voice full of suspicion. 

Yibo fixes his posture and stands straight again, though his heart is still racing from the chasing. “No, there’s nothing I need. I’m act-”

Almost instantly, Xiao Zhan’s expression defaults back to his poker-face.“If there’s nothing you need from me, then there’s no point in us standing in the middle of the street. I have things I need to do, kid.” Xiao Zhan cuts him off. 

Yibo opens his mouth to explain himself, but is cut off once more by Xiao Zhan who is now turning away. The teen reaches over and grabs a hold of Xiao Zhan’s uniform sleeve, causing the elder to jerk his head back and glower at him. 

“What?” Xiao Zhan almost barks. 

Yibo clears his throat. “Uhm…” he begins with a murmur. “Uhm, I just wanted to say that I…”

Xiao Zhan roughly pulls his sleeve away from the teen’s hand. “I don’t have time for this, kid.” he cuts in as he uses his other hand to fix the wrinkle on the sleeve caused by Yibo. He then looks at Yibo once more with the same expressionless face. “If you have something important to say next time, then just say it.” 

Without wanting to hear another word from the teen, Xiao Zhan quickly turns around and walks away. Yibo stares in disbelief at the back of the young general. 

“Fine!!” Yibo shouts after him. “I just wanted to thank you for the camera…” he then grumbles to himself.

Yibo is about to turn around and leave, but he has a sudden change of heart. Mischevy runs through his veins, you see. The teen looks over at Xiao Zhan fading into the distance. Then, he carefully begins to jog a few meters behind Xiao Zhan, who does not notice the younger following him. Yibo is heedful and is keen to not get caught, so he occasionally hides behind brick walls--garnering some concerned looks from onlookers. 

Within fifteen minutes or so of Yibo following the elder, Xiao Zhan stops in front of a white building. Yibo recognizes the building as being government-based but isn’t entirely sure of what the officials really do inside. The building is rather European-influenced in terms of appearance and has two other Republic guards in the front of the entrance. 

Yibo quickly dashes over towards the same direction and then ducks behind a black car for cover. The teen lifts his head and looks up and over the car window and he sees the two guards salute Xiao Zhan right before he is let inside the building. 

The mischievous teen slumps down onto the floor, back leaning against the car. Curiosity killed the cat, and as far as Yibo can tell, his curiosity is eating him up. He sits more comfortably on the ground and reaches into his bag to pull out his homework. Yibo has decided that he’s going to wait for Xiao Zhan to come out of the building. Whatever has Xiao Zhan so on edge has got to be fascinating news, Yibo convinces himself. Too bad he left his, or rather, General Xiao’s camera at home today.

  
  
  


An elderly man abruptly stands up from his seat. He slams his palm onto the oak roundtable, the loud ‘bang’ resounding through the whole meeting hall. With a glare as sharp as daggers, his eyes are fixated on the man sitting in front of him. 

“Why weren’t we told of this earlier?!” the elderly man shouts. He raises the same hand to point at the man sitting in front of him. “General Zhang, I know you have a lot on your hands, but your irresponsibility will cost thousands of lives.” he accuses through gritted teeth.

General Zhang, the head General of Shanghai who reports military proceedings from Beijing, just merely sits in his seat. His expression is difficult to decipher. 

“We were ill prepared to begin with and we haven’t even finished building half of the shelters. Haven’t we learned our lesson after 1931?!” the elder clamors, exasperated. “What do you expect us to do?! Tell the citizens that they will inevitably die because their government is run by a bunch of corrupt idiots?!”

“Settle down, General Li.” General Zhang finally speaks.

General Li opens his mouth to reply but holds his words back due to seniority. He hesitantly sits himself back down.

General Zhang reaches over for a cigar on the table and lights it; the room immediately fills with the aroma of burning tobacco. The senior general sighs, letting out a puff of white smoke. “It’s too late now, anyway. Arguing and shouting at me won’t help the public. Do not blame me for what Beijing delayed to tell me. Besides, the Japanese aren’t prepared to attack at full right now….but they are willing to threaten us.” 

“Then what do you suppose we do?” another voice speaks. 

  
The room full of twenty or so elderly generals and officials turn to look at Xiao Zhan, the lone young man in the room. Next to Xiao Zhan is his father who consequently glares at his son for speaking without permission in front of the seniors. 

General Zhang takes another puff of his cigar, eyes focused on the younger. “What do I suppose? What I’ve been supposing since the beginning of this year, of course. Run the sirens and try to evacuate as many people to the shelters near the port.” he replies simply.

Xiao Zhan clenches his jaw upon hearing the response. His hands are in a fist underneath the table. 

“So you’re certain they’re attacking? When are they going to fly over Shanghai?” another general asks. 

General Zhang lowers his gaze onto his burning cigar. He hesitates for a moment. “Expect an air raid tomorrow.” he reveals. 

The whole room ignites in an uproar of voices. 

  
  
  


Xiao Zhan’s hands are shaking as he steps down the stone stairs of the governmental building. His father looks over at his visibly distraught son and hesitantly puts a hand on the younger's shoulder. Xiao Zhan glances up at his father. 

“It will be okay. I won’t let the civilians suffer. Not on my watch.” Yifeng comforts.

Xiao Zhan forces a weak smile. Perhaps, this is one of the few times he has ever heard his father say something positive or encouraging to him. However, Xiao Zhan is unable to show his gratitude. He is too used to being taught to be aloof since childhood. 

The younger finds himself clenching his gloved hands in attempts to stop them from shaking--- but unfortunately, Yifeng already noticed it a while ago. 

“I already phoned your mother and other extended family members a few moments ago. They’re heading to the shelter right at this moment. You needn’t worry about them” Yifeng mentions. 

Xiao Zhan can only nod in silence.

“Senior General Xiao,” a voice calls out. Both father and son turn their attention to a young colonel who is now running up to them. “Senior General Xiao, General Xiao” the colonel salutes them both.

Yifeng nods in acknowledgement. “What is it?” he asks.

“Senior General Xiao, there’s been a change in plan. We need you to come with us to the outskirts of the city right now, as per requested by General Zhang.” the colonel replies.

Yifeng’s expression immediately turns into one of puzzlement. “Oh? Then what about my son?” he asks.

“General Zhang wants General Xiao to stay within the city to help evacuate the civilians.” the colonel answers. 

Yifeng looks over at his son in hesitation. Xiao Zhan’s face is expressionless. “Well son,” the elder begins. “ I guess we part ways now.” 

  
  
  


Xiao Zhan steps into the back seat of his assigned Jeep right outside of the meeting hall. He looks over at the driver and is a bit saddened when he realizes Li Nuo won’t be with him tonight. He isn’t used to having someone else drive other than a familiar friend. He wonders if his other friends and comrades’ families will be alright. He hopes they will be alright. 

The car engine starts with a loud rev and Xiao Zhan’s thoughts are washed away. The car speeds off at a faster than normal speed and the young general slumps into his seat. His heart is beating abnormally fast and he can feel sweat droplets fall onto his temples and down his chin--strange as it is Autumn. Xiao Zhan lets out a slow sigh to regulate his breathing but finds it to be useless. 

Unpleasant thoughts begin racing into his mind again. Like a rapid round of bullets, flashes of his military training erupt in his mind’s eye.

_ “When you’re being confronted by multiple Japanese enemies at once, do you cower?! When your intestines are spilling out of your abdomen, do you cower?! When you’re carrying your dying comrade on your back and there are bullets being shot at you, do you cower?!” _

_ “Sir, no sir!” _

  
  


The tires of the jeep suddenly come to a screeching halt. Xiao Zhan is practically sent flying forward by the impact of the brake as he grips onto the passenger seat for balance. 

“Fucking hell!” the driver shouts, pulling Xiao Zhan back into reality. “Get out of the fucking road!” the soldier yells, sticking his head out of the window.

“What’s going on?” Xiao Zhan cuts in. 

“Sir, some teenager just walked out onto the road. I almost hit him” the driver replies. 

Xiao Zhan takes a look out the window. It doesn’t take long before the young general’s expression changes into one of vexation. Sitting awkwardly on the ground in front of the car is Wang Yibo who is rubbiing his knee, wincing. Xiao Zhan scowls and aggressively pushes the car door open. Luck really isn’t on his side. 

Yibo is too busy rubbing his knee in trying to get rid of the pain to notice an extremely angered Xiao Zhan racing up to him. However, once the younger hears the familiar rhythmic thuds of the combat boots, he nervously looks up. Xiao Zhan looks down at the younger, eyes laden with an indescribably uncomfortable glare. 

“Were you following me?” Xiao Zhan accuses. His voice is low. 

“N-no! I...uh-” Yibo stutters, taken aback. He is barely able to look back at the elder.

Instead of questioning the teen even more, Xiao Zhan abruptly reaches down and grabs Yibo’s arm. He forces the younger to stand up and practically drags him by the arm to the car. 

“Wait! No, I’m sorry! I swear I wasn’t following you!” Yibo protests, trying to free his arm from the painful grip of Xiao Zhan. 

  
Xiao Zhan pushes the teen into the car, causing Yibo to stumble into the car seat. 

“Sir, this is…?” the driver asks, peering back at a flustered Yibo. 

“Doesn’t matter. Just drive.” Xiao Zhan commands as he steps back into the car and sits next to Yibo.

“Sir, yes sir!” 

  
The car starts up once more and speeds away. The flustered Yibo manages to sit up straight even though his knee still hurts when he moves. 

“Where are you taking me?” Yibo asks Xiao Zhan. 

“Home.” Xiao Zhan responds dryly, eyes glued to the front window of the car. 

Yibo’s eyes widen. “No wait! Please don’t. I don’t want to get in trouble-”

“You’re not in trouble. I need to get you home. Now” Xiao Zhan cuts him off. 

Yibo’s eyes level again, but his eyebrows raise in query. He doesn’t like the way Xiao Zhan sounds. It’s almost eerie. “W-why? You’re not going to punish me? What’s going on?” Yibo asks instead.

Xiao Zhan ignores the teen. Instead, he digs into his pants pocket and takes out his cigarette. He lights one and inhales deeply. As he smokes, Yibo’s concerned expression grows more and more apparent. 

“No, you’re hiding something.” Yibo accuses.

Xiao Zhan continues to ignore him. 

The teen turns his body to face the smoking Xiao Zhan. “Are we all going to die?” Yibo blurts. 

Xiao Zhan immediately turns his head and glowers at the teen. “What??” he perplexes. 

Yibo then falls back into his seat upon hearing the response. “Oh my God, we’re really going to die…” he mutters to himself in disbelief.

The fed up Xiao Zhan then, too, turns his whole body to face Yibo. Though he knows he is about to lie to someone, he for once, shoves his morals to the backside of his mind. “Nobody is going to die.” Xiao Zhan refutes. 

Yibo shakes his head in denial. “You entered that building. I know that building. It’s where all the officials go. You don’t sound right. You don’t even sound confident in your words. We’re all going to die.” Yibo rants. 

“So you were following me.” Xiao Zhan sighs. He turns back around and smokes his cigarette, drawing in a slow and steady amount of smoke. He gives up. Now is not the time. 

After a short while, Yibo feels his eyes well up in tears. He desperately tries to hold them back as he is embarrassed at himself. Seventeen year olds don’t cry. They shouldn’t-they’re practically men, yibo thinks to himself. The teen’s tear-glazed eyes peer over at the smoking Xiao Zhan, who, much to the teen’s dismay, looks terribly agitated and worried. Tears then trickle down Yibo’s cheeks uncontrollably. 

Xiao Zhan glances over at the teen and sees that the younger is silently crying. Xiao Zhan sighs loudly. He throws the remainder cigarette-butt out of the window and then looks Yibo directly in the eyes. 

“Look, kid. I can’t promise you anything nor can I say anything confidential. Sitting here crying isn’t helping anyone. Just, stop. Okay? You’re at least sitting in a car with two trained soldiers. We can protect you.” Xiao Zhan tries to comfort the teen.

Yibo wipes his face with his sleeve. He barely looks back over the elder. “....What’s happening?” he asks in a whisper. 

Xiao Zhan falls silent once more. He lowers his head and tries to think of a good way to format his words, but no matter what he thinks of, he’s inevitably going to scare the kid. 

Then, just like a cruel coincidence played out in movies, the air raid sirens begin blaring. Like screeching crows in the dawn of day, the blaring sirens send shivers down Yibo’s back. 

_ This is not a drill. Do not panic. Please follow the Armed Guards’ instructions accordingly. This is not a drill. Do not panic. Please follow the Armed Guards instructions accordingly. _

Yibo’s tears are now overflowing. He lets out a small whimper as he tries desperately to wipe away his tears. “My family….” he cries quietly. 

The siren felt like a kiss of death. Every ounce of doubt Yibo had is now manifesting as truth. The repeating sounds of the blaring siren overpowers any thought and Xiao Zhan can only watch the younger cry as he is unsure what to do. Xiao Zhan slowly and hesitantly extends his hand out to try and comfort the teen, but then retracts it in doubt. 

Xiao Zhan manages to clear his throat to say some words of comfort, but just as he was about to, a eerily familiar sound catches his attention instead. A heavy feeling of dread settles into Xiao Zhan’s stomach.

Instinctively, the young general looks up and out of the window. What he sees turns him pale. Up in the sky, there is a triangle of small fighter planes flying side by side. The sound of the plane engines are as clear as day now. Xiao Zhan quickly retracts his head back into the car.

“We need to get out of the car.” Xiao Zhan barely lets out. His chest hurts from how fast his heart is pounding. “Now!” he shouts. 

“Sir?” The soldier responds, lost. However, it doesn’t take long before the soldier begins to make out the sound of the plane engines, too. In a split second, the whole car comes to a forceful halt, making Yibo lose his footing and almost toppling forward. As the teen tries to recuperate himself, Xiao Zhan takes Yibo by the hand and pulls the younger out of the car with him. Yibo is barely able to keep his balance.

“W-what’s going on?” the teen calls out. 

As Xiao Zhan pulls the both of them out, the junior soldier looks up at the sky in sheer disbelief and terror. “I thought they said tomorrow?!!” he screams. 

Xiao Zhan’s eyes are glued onto the three planes like a moth to a flame. Then, just like droplets of rainwater, six bombs fall from the plane and create a hideous whistling sound. Xiao Zhan has only ever heard of the sound of falling bombs in movies and in his training, but the sound he hears in this moment shrills down to his bones. 

Xiao Zhan grips onto Yibo’s hand tightly and sprints, pulling the younger with him. Without time to think, he runs to the nearest building and pulls Yibo behind the wall. 

“Don’t move!” Xiao Zhan yells to Yibo, grabbing the younger by his waist and pulling him to the ground with him. 

Xiao Zhan instinctively uses his body to shield Yibo, his arms wrapping around the younger’s shoulder and his left hand cradling the younger’s head. Yibo’s body is pressed up tightly against Xiao Zhan when the bombs go off. There comes an eruption of white noise just as the bombs explode; the sound is so loud that the human ear is unable to decipher it. The ground beneath the two shakes. Xiao Zhan hugs the younger tighter to his body and he shuts his eyes tight.

Time begins to become relative as the bombs go off one by one--almost in slow motion. Xiao Zhan tries to keep a mental note of the sheer amount, but can only make a pathetic guess. With each ear-piercing explosion, the more Xiao Zhan loses hope that he will make it out of this alive. 

  
  
  


_ “Whether you come out of this alive or not, that’s not the priority. Your number one priority is to serve the people. It is only considered a true honor when you die for people you care about, Xiao Zhan.” _

  
  
  
  


There is sudden silence. Xiao Zhan opens up his eyes. He stays as still as possible. Counting down from thirty, he waits for any more whistles of falling bombs. When he counts down to one, the air around stays as still as he is. The bombing has stopped; there are no detectable sounds of plane engines. Without letting go of the boy, Xiao Zhan slowly looks around. He can barely make out any structure or figure as there is grey dust everywhere. Xiao Zhan tips his head upwards and blinks up at the sky; although the dust surrounds him, the skies are just clear enough to make out that there are no imminent threats.

Xiao Zhan lets out a breath of air. He leans his head back against the building wall and feels his heart thudding against his chest. 

“Hey, kid.” Xiao Zhan calls out. 

There is no response. 

Xiao Zhan lowers his head and looks at the top of Yibo’s head. The younger’s face is buried into his chest. 

“Yibo?” Xiao Zhan calls out, using the hand that supported Yibo’s head to lightly tap the younger’s cheek. No response. 

Xiao Zhan immediately sits up straight. “Yibo?” He calls out again, unwrapping his right arm from Yibo’s shoulder and uses it to lift the teen’s head, only to see an unconscious Yibo. 

  
  


________________________________________________________

I don’t know why this chapter was so hard to write lmao. My brain kept farting.

Btw, I’ve returned to work. That effectively means I can only upload a new chapter like every 3 days or so. 

And btw again, I’ve realized I cannot write this story using 100% historical accuracy because my plot/storyline just wouldn’t work out. So an official disclaimer: DON’T USE MY STORY AS A HISTORICAL REFERENCE. LOL. IT’S ONLY 50% ACCURATE. 


	5. Sunset, Sunrise.

Chapter 5. Sunset, Sunrise. 

  
  
  


Xiao Zhan is unsure as to how long he’s been running or how much time has passed by. In his tiring arms, he carries an unconscious Yibo. As he runs towards the cobblestone streets of central Shanghai, he stops dead in his tracks.

It is something out of a horror movie or a government propaganda broadcast. The once vibrant and bustling city center is desolate and broken down into pieces. Only about one-third of the buildings remain; the rest are a shell of what they used to be. The air is still thickened with grey dust from the fallen structures. Besides the echoing cries of the victims, there is an eerily dead silence. All around the block, there are bodies laying on the cold grounds, dead. There are other survivors slowly walking about aimlessly, calling out their loved ones names. A small scattering of soldiers are also present, but the young men are all occupied in pulling the destroyed brick walls away from what looks like buried bodies. Xiao Zhan feels his chest tighten. He cannot breathe. 

A hand suddenly grabs Xiao Zhan’s leg. He jolts in response, looking down to see a teary eyed elderly woman kneeling beneath him. She is covered in dust, her facial features barely recognizable. “Please, General. Help me find my son.” she begs. “He’s buried underneath that building, over there. I’m too old and weak.” she weeps. 

Xiao Zhan painfully watches, almost shell-shocked, as the elderly woman holds tightly onto his leg. She continues to chant pleas at him. The young general finds himself unable to muster up words. 

“Granny,” Xiao Xhan barely lets out “I will be right back to help you. I promise you. Please just wait for me here okay?” he offers.

The elderly woman’s grip is still desperately latched onto his leg. “General, please help me.” she cries into his leg. 

Xiao Zhan looks down onto the unconscious Yibo still in his arms. With slight hesitation, Xiao Zhan pulls his leg away from the woman’s hands. “I’m so sorry, granny. I have to save others, too. I will be right back to help you. I swear. Just wait for me and don’t move. I will be back!” he promises. 

As Xiao Zhan runs off to the nearest road to head to the field hospital, he takes one more look back at the elderly woman. Her desperate and sorrowful stare is now scorched into his mind, permanently. 

  
  


The field hospital is crammed and seemingly feverish in commotion. As the sun is beginning to set, it casts a sinister red glare upon the plot of land. Just outside the facility, there is a line up of occupied beds and gurneys as the staff can no longer fit any more patients. There is a mixture of voices shouting back and forth, both female and male, amidst the commotion. Nurses and doctors alike are all running in and out of the white tents, oftentimes with trays of bloody gauzes in their hands and their uniforms blotched in blood. 

Xiao Zhan runs up to one of the tents, breathless, as Yibo’s limp body is still in his sore arms. He looks around for assistance, but his tired eyes are only met with preoccupied nurses and doctors. 

“I need assistance!” Xiao Zhan shouts hoarsely. 

For about one minute, he gets no response. He opens his mouth to call out once more, but stops when he sees a nurse in a blood stained uniform running over to him. 

“General, what happened?” she asks, quickly hanging her stethoscope around her neck as she approaches the two. Xiao Zhan can’t help but wonder why her voice sounds so familiar--but he is unable to make out her face with the glaring sun. 

“Thank you nurse,” Xiao Zhan begins. “I-I don’t know. He’s unconscious. He’s breathing but he just won’t wake up. I was with him when the bombs detonated but I don’t see any external injuries on him” he explains frantically.

The nurse checks for a pulse on Yibo’s neck. She then turns around and scans the lot. 

“There.” she suddenly says, finger pointing at an empty bed right next to the tent. “Lay him there. Come on.” she urges. 

Xiao Zhan follows the quick footsteps of the nurse. He gingerly places Yibo down onto the small bed; the teen’s thin body barely fills in the space. The nurse pulls out a small flashlight from her apron pocket and shines the light into Yibo’s eyes, using her other hand to pry open his shut eyes. She then uses the same flashlight to shine a light on Yibo’s head, scanning for any injuries. After she is done, she puts the flashlight back into her pocket. She then reaches down and begins to unbutton Yibo’s dusty uniform, consequently ripping open the inner white button-up beneath the black jacket. Xiao Zhan unknowingly stares at the scene with widened eyes, each pupil fixated on the pale chest of the younger.

The nurse unwraps her stethoscope from her neck and puts in the earpiece. She listens to his breathing for about one minute. It is only when the nurse lifts her head to speak that Xiao Zhan’s attention is diverted.

“His vitals are good and he doesn’t seem to have any head injuries.” she starts, taking out her earpiece and hanging the stethoscope back around her neck. “The rest of his body appears to be injury free, too. I think he just fell unconscious due to being too frightened and-” she suddenly stops speaking midway. The nurse then tip-toes a bit and squints at Xiao Zhan. It does not take long before her eyes grow in size. 

“Xiao Zhan??” she gasps, hands almost cupping her mouth in shock. “Oh, I couldn't recognize you with all the dust on your face!” she exclaims with a smile. 

Confused, Xiao Zhan peers a little closer at the nurse. He should have known it was her. “Mina!” he exclaims back. 

Mina lets out a breathy laugh. “I’m so glad you’re alive! You cannot believe how happy it makes me to see people I know still alive”

Uncharacteristically, Xiao Zhan smiles back at her. “I’m glad you’re alive too.” he replies. If Mina is alive, there is a good chance that his family and friends are also safe. 

Mina looks over at Yibo. “Is he family?” she asks. 

“No. Uhm...I guess you can call him a friend of mine.” he replies. He then nods his head. “Yes, he’s a friend.” he confirms.

“Mina! I need you over here now!” a doctor yells from the opposite end, cutting in on their conversation.

Mina turns to Xiao Zhan with regretful eyes. “I have to go. Don’t worry, your friend is safe here. If you feel ill, just ask the other nurses they’ll be glad to h-”

“No!” Xiao Zhan replies, shaking his head. “That won’t be needed. I have to go back into the city to help the others…” he trails off. Xiao Zhan hesitates for a moment. “...but if it’s not too much of a bother, can you please personally look after him? His name is Wang Yibo. If I don’t make it back by dawn tomorrow, I need you to ask around to see the whereabouts of his parents. Please.” he requests. 

Mina nods without hesitation. “You have my promise.” she agrees. 

“Mina!!” the doctor yells once more. 

Mina smiles one last time at Xiao Zhan. “Please stay safe!” she says before running off to the opposite direction. 

Xiao Zhan feels his hands shaking once more. He clenches them. Taking one more look at the unconscious Yibo, Xiao Zhan heads for the main road. 

  
  
  


Running back into the seemingly demolished city center, Xiao Zhan frantically looks around. Though he is already exhausted from helping a few others along the road to the city, his guilt continues to eat away at him. There are now more soldiers and armed guards present, all dutifully helping the injured civilians. Xiao Zhan’s eyes are barely able to make out most structures as the sun has set and the wailing voices make it even harder to concentrate .He scans around for the granny he promised he would help earlier--his guilt is eating away at him. In the far corner of the right, Xiao Zhan sees the familiar granny in her tattered clothes. Besides her is a soldier. They both bend down and begin picking up and tossing bricks away. 

Xiao Zhan runs up to the two. “Granny! I’m back! I promised you!” he calls out. The hysterical elderly woman takes no notice of Xiao Zhan, she just continues to pick away at the fallen building.

However, the other aiding soldier notices the voice; consequently looking up. Xiao Zhan can barely make out the face of the soldier as it is covered in dust, but the particular gaze up at him makes Xiao Zhan jump back a bit.

“Li Nuo?!” Xiao Zhan cries out.

“Z-Zhan ge?” the voice responds, lips grey with dust. 

Li Nuo immediately springs up and brings the elder in a tight hug, knocking the air out of Xiao Zhan. “Zhan ge! Oh, I thought you died!” he sobs. 

Xiao Zhan holds back a tear. “I’m very much alive.” he assures. He then lightly pushes Li Nuo off of him. “Here, let’s help her.” he reminds the younger. 

Li Nuo nods, wiping his tears away and leaving a streak of uneven skin -color on his face. The two begin to toss the numerous amounts of bricks away. One by one, their eyes get a clearer view of the motionless body underneath. 

“My son!” the elderly woman shrieks upon seeing her son’s bruised hand sticking out the debris. She frantically picks away at the bricks. 

Xiao Zhan and Li Nuo pick away just enough bricks to try and pull the body out. Xiao Zhan grabs the victim’s arms and Li Nuo lifts the legs. The two manage to pull the body out with ease and gently lay the still body onto the cobblestone floors. The body is completely covered in chalky debris. The only color visible on the young man is his blood stained lips.

“My son! My dear son!” the elderly woman wails. She stumbles over and throws her arms over his chest; both Xiao Zhan and Li Nuo are unable to intervene. She raises a shaky hand and lays a finger atop of his lips, checking to see if he’s breathing. The woman’s face turns white. She begins to gasps for air, but then just as instantly, lets out a scream-like cry. Xiao Zhan staggers back a few steps in shock, watching as the elderly woman cries into her lifeless child's chest. The woman says nothing for a while, she just continues sobbing.

Li Nuo tentatively bends down and extends his hand. He places two fingers on the lifeless body and then almost immediately looks up at Xiao Zhan. Li Nuo only manages to shake his head, but Xiao Zhan knows exactly what he means. 

“Come on, Zhan ge.” Li Nuo ushers, standing up straight. “We have to help others.”

Xiao Zhan clenches his jaw. His nose begins to tingle as his eyes well in tears. 

Li Nuo turns to the elederly woman. “I’m sorry.” he says softly, but she is unable to hear him through her cries. 

Xiao Zhan wishes to say something, but alas he cannot. His tears fall like heavy rain droplets. 

  
  
  


_ There is an intense amount of pressure. The kind of pressure that travels past one’s eardrums and causes a violent shake inside one’s body. Then, a loud eruption of white noise. The scene fades to black. _

The first thing Yibo feels is immense pain surrounding his head. He furrows his brows in his sleep, but is jolted awake when he hears a scream. Blinking his eyes open for a few seconds, the teen stares up a white ceiling. He stares up at the ceiling in confusion as it begins to sway. He then realizes it’s not a cement ceiling, but rather, a mere sheet of white fabric. Yibo slowly turns his left to the right. He sees a metal tray with a ceramic cup inside of it. Suddenly, he feels an insatiable thirst. 

Yibo raises both his arms to prop himself up. It takes a bit of effort, but he manages to sit up half-way. His mind is so focused on getting a sip of water, that when he reaches over to take the ceramic cup and drinks all of its contents, he is completely unaware of what surrounds him. Only when another scream erupts from one of the patients does Yibo become more aware. He drops his cup when he sees that he is one of dozens of bed-ridden patients. His panicked eyes roam about the tent in a frenzy.

“You’re awake!” a female voice chimes. 

Yibo turns his head to face a smiling Mina, but to him, a complete stranger. The teen watches as Mina bends down to pick up the ceramic cup he unknowingly broke. 

“Where am I…?” Yibo asks, voice hoarse and his throat sore. 

Mina finishes picking up the last broken piece. She dumps the shards back into the metal tray besides Yibo. Mina then reaches her hand over and feels Yibo’s forehead. 

“You’re at a field hospital.” she answers. She removes her hand and sits down next to Yibo. Yibo takes notice of her blood stained uniform and swallows. 

“Does that mean I’m badly injured from the bombing?” Yibo asks, eyes still glued on her uniform. He begins to imagine if his legs underneath the thin blankets are blown off and he’s just in shock and cannot feel the pain. 

Mina shakes her head. “No, you’re fine. Just a bit in shock. I’m certain you collapsed because you got too terrified.” she explains. 

Yibo’s gaze focuses on Mina. He feels his cheeks burn up in shame. 

Mina notices the tinge of crimson on the teen’s cheeks and quickly changes the topic. “Yibo, isn’t it?” she asks-though she already knows the answer. 

Yibo lifts his eyes back up at her pleasant face. “Yes.” he nods “How do you know?” 

“Xiao Zhan told me. Well actually, he told me to look after you while he’s gone.” she replies, eyes looking the other way to recall exactly what Xiao Zhan asked of her.

Yibo’s eyes widen. He recalls now. The last thing he saw was Xiao Zhan’s alarmed expression--then everything turned black. 

“So, he was the one who got me here?” Yibo almost stutters. 

Mina nods. “Yes, he was carrying you when he got here.” 

Yibo’s cheeks are burning now. It's almost uncomfortable. “Well, is he here now?” he asks.

“No. He went back to the city to help aid others.” Mina responds. She pauses for a moment then speaks. “You don’t need to worry about him, though. I’m sure he is fine. He is a general afterall.”she comforts.

Yibo’s lip curls into a weak smile, but he is silent. The burning in his cheeks are like flames and he is certain he looks like a living apple. 

“My name is Mina, if I didn’t mention.” Mina speaks again, distracting the flustered Yibo. “Are you hungry? I believe there’s still some bread somewhere around here.”

“Ah, no. I’m not hungry.” Yibo quickly denies. 

Mina nods in understanding. She gets back up and fixes her apron. “If there’s anything you need, just let me know.” she offers with a smile. 

“Uh, actually,” Yibo starts. “How do you know his name? General Xiao’s name?” he asks. 

Mina purses her lips and folds her hands behind her back. “Hmm…” she wonders outloud. “I know his name because he's my fiance...” she says with a questioning tone. “...though I don’t know if we will ever get married with what’s happening.”

Fiance. The word seems to sound very unpleasant in Yibo’s ears--it almost makes him nervous. The teen slowly nods his head in acknowledgement. “I see.” he mutters. His heart begins to hurt against his chest.

Mina’s lips form a smile once more. “Again, let me know if you need anything. I will bring you a new cup with more water in a few moments.” 

Yibo smiles back at her. “Thank you for your help.”

  
  


Mina is cleaning her tools when she gets distracted by a male voice, shouting something she can barely make out. She places her tools down and pushes one of the curtains of the tent aside. She sees a very dimly lit Xiao Zhan and another soldier; they are both carrying different victims on their backs. Mina quickly exits the tent and runs up the two.

“You’re back!” she calls out, getting the attention of both Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Zhan gently lays the injured civilian down onto a gurney, allowing the two other soldiers to carry it away. He turns around and smiles softly at Mina.

“Hey” he greets, wiping the sweat away from his forehead. Xiao Zhan approaches her. “How is the kid?” he then asks. 

Mina smiles back at Xiao Zhan. “He’s fine. He was actually awake a few hours ago but fell back asleep.” she assures. “Oh! And I asked one of the armed guards to ask the whereabouts of his parents. I’m certain we’ll hear a word back by morning.” she remembers. 

Xiao Zhan extends his hand over and rests it on her shoulder. There is a genuine smile on his lips. “Thank you, Mina.” he says.

When Li Nuo finally turns around after assisting the injured civilian, he looks at the two conversing adults with intrigue in his eyes. He then looks back at Mina and his eyes enlarge. “You’re Mina!” he practically yells. Xiao Zhan darts his eyes at a perplexed Li Nuo. 

“You’re my sister-in-law!” Li Nuo laughs. He sticks a hand out to a more than stumped Mina. “It’s a pleasure, ma’am. My name is Li Nuo and I’m Zhan ge’s junior in rank.” he introduces.

Xiao Zhan’s face reddens. Before he can say anything, Mina hesitantly reaches over to shake Li Nuo’s dirt-covered hands. “Oh...you’re too kind…” she barely musters. 

The young general clears his throat. Li Nuo instinctively retreats back to his original position, but there is still a sheepish smile on his face.

Mina also unknowingly clears her throat. “You two must be exhausted.” she comments, changing the topic. “ Come, I’ll bring you some water and check you for any injuries.” she then offers, hand motioning to the tent in front of them.

Li Nuo eagerly nods. “Yes, Ma’am!” he replies loudly. 

  
  
  


_ It feels comfortable here--wherever here is. Yibo is unsure, but he can only guess that he’s in the embrace of someone familiar. The only other thing he can really notice is the comforting scent of the person who holds him. _

Sunrise. The beam of bright light hits Yibo’s sleeping face. His vision is suddenly tinted red as his eyes are still closed. Slowly, Yibo opens his heavy lids and blinks a few times. His tired eyes adjust to the orange light that colors the once white tents. Yibo feels thirsty again. He props himself up and looks over to his right, and of course, there’s a cup full of water there for him sitting on a stool. He takes it and drinks the whole cup without stopping. As he places the cup back down, he feels his head pounding. No, He was definitely hit with something when bombs detonated, maybe a falling brick. There is no reason why his head should hurt so much. 

Yibo sits up straight and looks forward. The whistling winds of Autumn rhythmically brush the fabric doors aside like ocean waves. Most of the patients in the tent are asleep, and for the few that are awake, they are sitting in silence like Yibo is. It’s an indescribable feeling. How can one even describe what it’s like to lose everything one knows in one day?

Yibo looks to the left of him. The teen’s heavy lids instantly become lighter when he sees a fast asleep Xiao Zhan sitting on a wooden chair next to him, arms crossed against his chest and his long legs sprawled out. The sunlight shifts as the sun rises higher. The light shines directly at Xiao Zhan’s sleeping face. Yibo gazes upon the features of the elder and truly sees Xiao Zhan for the first time as his cap is off. Xiao Zhan’s once black lashes are now lit up by the sunlight and they’ve turned light brown. His usual pink lips are cast in a golden light. Even though the elder’s uniform is covered in debris, it somehow becomes background noise in comparison to his serene resting face. Yibo watches Xiao Zhan’s chest fall down and then back up. 

The teen becomes lost in the scene before him. He is unsure how much time passes. It is only when the sunlight slowly begins to leave Xiao Zhan’s face does Yibo turn his head back around. He blankly stares at nothing in particular. Yibo finds it difficult to breathe. Maybe that’s a symptom of being possibly hit in the head, he thinks to himself. He slowly settles himself back into bed, but this time, he faces Xiao Zhan. Yibo watches the young general sleep away, until he, too, dozes off. 

  
  
  


The next time Yibo opens his eyes, he feels a hand on his own. For a short instance, he thinks it’s Xiao Zhan’s hands. He blinks rapidly, trying to become more awake. As he comes to, he notices the hand on his own is a lot softer than what a man’s should be. 

Biyu, Yibo’s mother, wakes when she feels movement. She raises her head and sees that Yibo’s eyes are open. 

“My boy!” she cries out, immediately sitting up straight.

Upon hearing his mother’s voice, Yibo jolts up. He immediately turns his head to his crying mother, her round eyes surrounded by tears. Yibo’s eyes well up, too. 

“Mama…!” he cries, arms reaching over and embracing her. “I thought you died.” he sobs into her shoulder. He breathes in her comforting lilac scent. He almost does not want to let go. 

“I’m so glad you’re safe, my boy.” she sighs, rocking him back and forth. She lets go of Yibo and wipes away his tear stained cheeks. “General Xiao had someone come and find us.” she begins. “I came here as fast as I could.”

Yibo sniffles. “He did?” he asks. 

Biyu nods. She takes a hold of Yibo’s hands, but tighter this time. “Your father is sorry he couldn’t make it. When he was on his way home, that’s when the bombs went off. His right leg is broken in three places, but he’s doing fine otherwise. Your aunty is looking after him.”

Yibo’s eyes overflow with tears once more. Though him and his old man oftentimes have their quarrels, he still loves his father dearly. It’s a heartbreaking image to imagine his father in pain and bed-ridden. 

“Is our home okay? Do we even have a home now? What about Papa’s factory?” Yibo franticall asks. 

“The home is fine, the factory is fine. We’re lucky.” she assures. 

Yibo sighs in relief. “I’m glad.” he breathes. 

“The kind nurse who took care of you, Mina was her name? She said we can go home today.” Biyu smiles. 

Yibo smiles back at his mother, but then he remembers Xiao Zhan. He looks at his mother. “Do you know where General Xiao went” he asks. 

His mother thinks for a moment. “I believe he headed back to the military base.” she mutters. “Ah, yes. That’s what he told me after I thanked him earlier today. He said he was heading back to the base.” she confirms. Then, her expression falls into one of concern. “Oh...I hope his family is alright.” she worries. 

  
  


“I’m sure they are. They’re military people. They have resources.” Yibo mumbles in response, perhaps to comfort himself, too. 

Biyu nods in agreement. She then reaches over and cups her son’s cheek in her warm palms. “Come on Yibo, let’s go home.” 

  
  
  


Yibo carefully opens the wooden door to his parent’s bedroom. The door creaks a bit, but not loud enough to wake his sleeping father. Yibo feels a mixture of guilt and grief when he sees his father’s leg hanging by multiple fabrics coming from the bedframe. If only he was there to help his father the moment it happened. If only he didn’t run off. 

Yibo closes the door. Just as he is about to walk away, he catches a reflection of himself from the hallway mirror. He stops and turns to look at himself. Disheveled and dirty is what he sees. His once black uniform is covered in debris and dust. His undershirt has been destroyed by whomever examined him at the field hospital. His hair is not much better, either--it’s sticking up every which way. 

The fatigued teen walks off to the bathroom across from his parent’s bedroom. Once he enters the bathroom, he strips of his clothes and throws them into the laundry basket. Yibo cannot help but to look at himself in the mirror reflection above the sink. The body reflecting back at him is awfully skinny, he critiques. Yibo then has a thought that disappears as fast as it comes; he wonders what Xiao Zhan’s body looks like. Definitely more muscular than his own, as the elder is a soldier.

Yibo turns away from the mirror. He begins to run the bath water and makes himself a steamy bath--making sure the water is extra warm. Yibo takes his mother’s bath gel and dumps the remaining lot into the running bath water. The water instantly foams up in scented bubbles. 

He steps into the hot water and emerges his whole body into it. As he lays there in physical silence, his mind is racing. Mina. That name is forever etched into his brain. He sees the image of her in his mind’s eye and feels a negative feeling he can’t really describe fully into his head. Yibo blinks hard to try and tries to disperse the thoughts and images away, but his cruel brain decides to pop the word ‘fiance’ into his thoughts. 

Yibo holds his breath and plunges his head into the bath water. Maybe that will shut his bizarre thoughts up.

_______________________________________________________________________

Okay so if any of you are in the medical field, I kinda messed up on purpose lmao. Usually fainting from fear/shock only lasts about a minute or so and then the person wakes up. But I need to write a story, so I made a medical anomaly LOL. 

Enjoy! Comment! <3 


	6. In The Wake

Chapter 6. In The Wake. 

_ Three days pass. _

It has been one sleepless night after another. Some nights, Xiao Zhan swears he can hear the bombs go off once more, but he only wakes up in a panic to a silent night. Today, Xiao Zhan’s eyes open after only shutting them for ten minutes throughout the whole night. He stares up at his bedroom ceiling and just continues to stare for an unknown amount of time. The same ceiling he has been staring at since childhood just seems to fade into a mess of patterns as he forgets to blink. Xiao Zhan shuts his eyes and rolls over to his side. When he reopens them, he sees that the sun is peeking through his thick curtains. It must be well over eight in the morning now.

Getting up from his bed, the fatigued Xiao Zhan can barely stand up straight. He fumbles a bit and has to hold onto the bed post to get himself up fully. His head begins to pound and he feels the same dizzy spell from yesterday creep up on him. The dizzy spell sends him back to his bed and he sits back down. Xiao Zhan buries his head into his shaky hands. He feels worse today. 

“Young master, your breakfast is getting cold!” the maid’s voice calls from downstairs. 

Xiao Zhan lets out a tremulous breath of air. He barely lifts his head up from his palms. “I have to get dressed, aunty. I’ll be down in a few minutes!” he shouts back with difficulty. 

He sits in silence for another minute before he lowers his hands and lifts his weak body from the bed. The dizzy Xiao Zhan slowly treads over to his large wooden dresser and pulls the doors open. He takes out his now clean uniform and throws it onto his bed. Just as he is about to close the doors to the dresser, he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror hanging on the inside of the door. The man staring back at him terrifies him a bit. Sunken in eyes, pale lips, pale--almost jaundiced skin, and a lackluster stare is what reflects back at him. Xiao Zhan has only ever seen this shell of a man a few other times in his life, and that is when he has a high fever. It doesn’t help either that his pathetic state is furthermore enhanced by his ill fitting undershirt and large boxers. 

The now annoyed Xiao Zhan raises his right hand and feels his forehead. His suspicions are, of course, correct. 

  
  


Sitting by a large dining table, a middle-aged woman takes a sip of her black coffee; the cup is stained red by her lipstick when she sets it back down. In front of her, there is an array of fruits and other breakfast assortments. As she reaches over and plucks a plump grape from its vines, she feels a hand on her shoulder. 

“Oh, Xiao Zhan. You’re up!” she says, turning her head around to look up at her son. “Would you like your coffee reheated?” she asks.

Xiao Zhan shakes his head no. He walks around the table and sits himself down across from his mother, Meiyue. Her almond eyes peer back at him in suspicion as she watches him look at his bowl of porridge in disinterest. Xiao Zhan picks up his spoon and digs it into his rice porridge, only to take the tiniest bite.

“Would you like to eat something else?” Meiyue offers. 

Xiao Zhan merely shakes his no once more. 

Unsatisfied with the answer, Meiyue’s suspicion grows. She gets up from her seat and walks over to her son. Xiao Zhan immediately lowers his head in fear of his mother knowing of his fever---but alas, a mother’s instinct is never wrong. 

Meiyue extends her palm out and feels his forehead. It takes her no more than seconds to realize her suspicions are correct. “You have a fever!” she exclaims. 

Xiao Zhan unknowingly lets out a sigh and moves his head away from his mother’s hand. “It’s fine, Ma. It’ll go away later on today.” he replies. He looks up at his frowning mother; her arms now crossed in dissatisfaction. 

“No.” Meiyue refutes. “I’ll have to call your father down. He should go to the meeting instead.”she declares. She turns away but is spun back around when her son grabs her by the arm.

“Ma, please don’t. Father is injured. He can’t go even if he wanted to.” Xiao Zhan reasons. 

The frowning Meiyue looks her son up and down in almost a protesting manner. However, her frown then softens into a look of worry. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” she asks.

The fatigued Xiao Zhan lightly nods his head in response, letting go of his mother’s arm. Though he is not looking at her, he can still feel her gaze on him. Meiyue continues to stand in front of Xiao Zhan with an increasingly worry-filled stare. 

“Do you know it’s been a year since you’ve been back home?” she suddenly says, catching the attention of Xiao Zhan.

“...Has it?” he mutters back. 

Meiyue pulls the chair next to her and sits down right in front of Xiao Zhan. She folds her hands and rests it atop of her thighs “Yes it has.” she confirms. “And you know how I know? Because I counted the days.”

Xiao Zhan laughs lightly in response. “What is this all about, Ma?” he wonders.

Meiyue unfolds her hands and reaches over to hold Xiao Zhan’s cold hands. The warmth of her hand is a nice reminder of when he would hold her hands when he was a child. 

“I shouldn’t have listened to your father. I knew better, yet I let him control your life.” she reveals with a solemn stare. 

Xiao Zhan stares back at her in query. “What do you mean?” he seriously wonders.

Not letting go of her son’s hands, Meiyue just shakes her head in regret. “You wanted to become a doctor ever since you were a child, so I begged and begged your father to let you study abroad and when he finally agreed, I thought you would graduate and live in England permanently.” she recalls. Her eyes fall to the floor. “After what happened to your father during 1931, I never wanted you to go through that. I refused to. I wanted you to have a normal life away from all this military nonsense…”

Meiyue falls silent. She looks back up at her concerned son, her eyes now filled with tears. “I can’t watch you suffer, Xiao Zhan.” she whispers. “What if one day I don’t get a letter back from you or you don’t call? What if one day instead of seeing your face, I get greeted by a letter notifying me that my only son has died during battle?” she weeps. 

Xiao Zhan stares wide eyed at his mother, seemingly unable to muster up any words of comfort. 

Wiping away her tears, Meiyue’s eyes brighten a bit. “It’s not too late, Xiao Zhan. There’s still a way out, I can help you.” she offers. “I have enough money stashed away to buy you a home in England and you can live-”

“No, Ma.” Xiao Zhan then cuts in. He outreaches his hands to hold his mother’s smaller hands in reassurance. “You’re being paranoid. Nothing is going to happen to me. Nothing is going to happen to father, either.” he assures. “Besides, I can’t back out now. You didn’t raise a coward.” he jokes.

Meiyue lets out one more sob. She then forces a weak smile upon her face. “You’re right...” she agrees. “I raised a great son.”

  
  
  


The room is drowning in uncomfortable silence. It does not help that the room is much more cramped than it usually is, considering the fact that the official meeting hall was destroyed in the days prior. Xiao Zhan is unsure whether or not his fever is more uncomfortable or the actual silence. He can feel the eyes of each and every senior general look about the room, trying to find a starting point. Though it’s only been three days since the initial air raid, it feels like weeks, months. Half of the city is unrecognizable and at least one-third of the citizens are now homeless. The city is eerily grim. 

General Li, who is sitting right besides Xiao Zhan, lets out an exaggerated sigh. The whole room turns to look at him. The sixty-something year old general raises an eyebrow in clear annoyance. 

“What a bunch of cowards!” General Li scolds. He lets another loud sigh amidst the murmurs amongst the perplexed generals. “What is the point to this silence, huh?!” General Li continues. “The city's in ruins, people are either dead or missing, and the orphanages can no longer care for any more misplaced children!” he shouts.

General Zhang slams his hand onto the table, causing General Li to slump into his seat with a displeased look on his face. “Stop shouting like a child,” General Zhang scowls. “ We know all of this already. Repeating it like a mocking bird is nonsensical.”

“General Li has a point, General Zhang.” another voice chimes in. “How can we realistically prepare ourselves for the incoming months if our infrastructure has weakened?”

Xiao Zhan begins to fiddle with his fingers. He glances back and forth at the arguing generals, hesitating to speak in case he gets rebuked.  _ What a bunch of cowards _ . Those words come flying into his mind like daggers. 

“If I may,” Xiao Zhan speaks. The whole room turns to look at him. Xiao Zhan swallows air when he sees the multitude of eyes targeting him, but he decides to continue. “If I may, General Zhang. I would have to say I agree with everyone. Those bombs aren’t just a warning, they’re trying to weaken us before they officially strike.”

“I stand by those words!” General Li declares. “The corruption within this Republic is so deeply rooted that I have not one ounce of hope that we can defend the Japanese troops. What do we have? Approximately five or six months until they wage war?”

“This country is being run by mad men--crazed by gold and luxuries.” a fourth voice chimes in.

General Zhang glowers from the web of voices shouting back and forth. He clenches his hands. “You are all insulting the Republic right now. Be careful.” he warns.

General Li scoffs upon hearing the elder’s words. “Insult the Republic….” he practically laughs. “Do not act as if you’re not a part of the problem, great General Zhang. Bribery is a sport for some.” he mocks. 

General Zhang immediately stands up and slams both his fists onto the table, sending tea droplets upwards from everyone’s cups. The whole room falls silent once more. “Enough!” he yells. “This is not time!”

The silence does not last long, though. 

“Then when is the time, General Zhang?”a new voice mocks. “When the country is destroyed by the Japanese or when the Communist party eventually takes over?” 

The head general is mute, but the whole room is witness to his scowl. Xiao Zhan can only stare at the furious General Zhang grow redder in the face as the seconds pass. He has never seen him so angered. 

General Li shakes his head and sighs loudly again, utterly ashamed in what he is witnessing. “God bless this country.” he mutters.

  
  
  


The Jeep comes to a halt on the uneven road. Li Nuo pokes his head out of the window. The whole base camp is a begrimed mess full of fallen bricks and overworked soldiers treading about. The only thing that stands relatively unscathed is the main building and some weaponry storage vaults scattered about the camp. Li Nuo shakes his head in disbelief. 

Sticking his back into the jeep, the sergeant turns to face an abnormally quiet Xiao Zhan seated beside him. “Zhan ge, how are we supposed to repair any of this? Did they even give you any capital?” he asks.

Xiao Zhan nods while massaging his temples with his cold hands. “Yes, they did give me some money to start,” he mumbles. “But you know how it is, it’s never enough.” he practically laughs at how pathetic the situation is. 

Li Nuo shakes his head again. “Five to six more months, huh. Before we all die, I guess.” he mutters back. 

Instead of replying back, Xiao Zhan just shuts his eyes tightly. He lowers his head into his palms and rests in that position for a short moment. Li Nuo takes notice and lightly pats his friend’s back. “Do you want me to get you some medicine?” he asks Xiao Zhan, only to get a no as a response. 

  
  


Somewhere not too far away from the base camp, Yibo runs along the barely recognizable streets. He had just come back from visiting Xiaoyang and Enze at the field hospital and gifted them some Belgium chocolates; a way of making his friends feel better about their broken ribs and limbs. However, Yibo’s hands still hold one more gift package wrapped in paper; it has Xiao Zhan’s name written on it. 

Making his way past a mass of rubble, Yibo turns a corner and sees the military base camp only a few feet away from him. The anxious teen begins to grow even more nervous and he consequently grips the package in his hands even tighter than before. Suddenly, this doesn’t seem to be a good idea anymore. Maybe saying thank you verbally was enough to show his appreciation. Xiao Zhan isn’t necessarily the most welcoming person. Though the elder is kind when he wishes to be, he never fails to make Yibo feel slightly skittish. What makes matters worse, is that not only does the gift package contain European sweets his parents forced him to include, but also the photos of Xiao Zhan Yibo developed not too long ago. In what bizarre universe did Yibo ever think that this was a good idea.

“This is a stupid idea.” Yibo then mutters to himself, hand smacking his forehead in shame. He huffs in defeat and quickly turns back around to walk back home. 

Yibo only makes it halfway back to the previous block when he suddenly stops in his tracks. Something is preventing him from going back home; perhaps it’s due to the sudden spark of optimism within Yibo. It’s a bit foolish to think, but maybe Xiao Zhan will be welcoming this time. Maybe he will appreciate the sentiment and befriend him. 

Yibo finds himself sheepishly smiling at the thought of having Xiao Zhan as a friend. The teen turns back around and heads for the camp again. No one can blame him for trying to be appreciative.

  
  


Li Nuo is grimacing at the image of Xiao Zhan smoking. He waves his hands in front of his face to disperse the smoke in the air. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Zhan ge? I don’t think you should be smoking when you have a fever. I mean, I’m not the smartest guy, but I’m pretty sure that’s not good.” he comments right after he coughs a bit. 

Xiao Zhan leans against the stone wall of the cafeteria--or what’s left of it--and just continues to smoke. He barely looks over at Li Nuo. “It’s not a crime to smoke.” he replies. 

The younger frowns heavily upon hearing his words. Li Nuo follows Xiao Zhan and leans against the wall, too. “I know you’re stressed, but you’re being a bit reckless.” he scolds, eyes prying over at the elder.

Xiao Zhan just closes his eyes and lets out a breath filled with white smoke--it flows into the air like a heavy fog. He pays no mind to the frowning Li Nuo. Resting his head against the cold stone wall and smoking feels good to him. It takes his mind away from the countless, almost endless thoughts that he has.

Li Nuo sighs heavily. He turns his head away from his friend and purses his lips. “Did you know that old Bowei got deployed to Chongqing?” he suddenly mentions with a soft chortle. 

Xiao Zhan only nods in response, eyes still closed. 

The younger sighs even louder this time, almost exaggerated. “I didn’t even get to tell him to go fuck off this time. He just up and left us.” he jokes.

This garners a slight chuckle from Xiao Zhan as he reopens his eyes. The elder just reaches over and slaps Li Nuo’s shoulder lightly as a means of scolding him. The two start laughing at the thought of Bowei being told to fuck off. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Their laughter is cut short, of course, when a third voice interrupts the banter.

“General Xiao!” a voice calls out. 

Looking over to his right, Xiao Zhan sees a guard running up to him. 

“General Xiao,” the guard salutes. “There’s a teenager outside of the gates, surnamed Wang, I believe. He told me you know him and to let him in.” 

Xiao Zhan instantaneously furrows his brows in response.“What does he want now?” he wonders out loud. 

“I don’t need this, kid.” Xiao Zhan says. He slides the gift back towards Yibo.

The wind blows and Yibo shivers in response. He outreaches a shaky hand and pushes the gift back towards Xiao Zhan, who unsurprisingly, is staring at the younger in suspicion. The two are seated directly across from one another, but since the buildings are all under reconstruction, they must bear the cold of the unforgiving autumn winds outside. Standing besides the wooden table and looking back and forth between Yibo and Xiao Zhan is an amused Li Nuo. 

“No, it’s my parents way of saying thank you. A-also my way, too. Please just take it home...it was expensive....” Yibo replies with a voice shakier than his hand. 

Xiao Zhan leans back against his seat. He looks Yibo up and down. It is somewhat strange seeing the teen in normal clothes instead of the usual childish uniform. Yibo looks slightly more mature today as he is wearing a plain beige sweater and grey trousers. His hair is gelled back, too, revealing a structured and well proportioned face. 

“You don’t have school?” Xiao Zhan wonders, changing the topic. 

Yibo slowly shakes his head no. “My school was...destroyed…” he mumbles, scratching his head as a result of his anxiousness. 

“Hmm.” Xiao Zhan replies. He tilts his head in query. “Then what are you going to do for the next few months?” he wonders out loud again. 

Yibo nervously looks away with a crooked smile. “Uhh, I’m not too sure, really….”

The wind blows harder this time and Yibo shivers again. Wearing such a thin sweater this morning was a bad choice. 

Xiao Zhan takes notice of the shivering teen and finds himself making a face. Without really thinking, the elder takes off his own pale-blue trench coat. Yibo watches in confusion when he sees Xiao Zhan bunch the coat up and set it on the table. 

“Take my coat” Xiao Zhan offers. “You’re shivering.”

Yibo’s face immediately tinges a noticeable red. His enlarged eyes fall onto the coat on the table. “Oh, no. I’m fine!” he denies with a nervous laugh. 

Instead of insisting, Xiao Zhan stands up. He fixes his gun holster out of habit and gazes down at Yibo. “Thank you for the sentiment, kid. Go home.” he simply says. 

Yibo’s eyes follow Xiao Zhan’s back as the elder walks away. The teen tries to find a reason to protest, but he is too flustered to. 

Li Nuo follows Xiao Zhan, but then suddenly stops midway to quickly take the gift package from the table. Li Nuo and Yibo make eye contact for a short while and the younger gulps nervously. 

Surprisingly, Li Nuo smiles at him. “Don’t worry, kid. I’ll give it to him. Go home and take the coat. It’s cold.” Li Nuo ushers. He then swiftly catches up to Xiao Zhan, the gift hidden behind his back. 

The two figures start to grow smaller and smaller. Yibo’s curious eyes naturally dart to the large coat in front of him. Like a cruel joke, the wind blows again and the teen shivers. He reaches over and grabs the coat and quickly puts it on with chattering teeth. The coat is heavy. There is still residual warmth left over from Xiao Zhan wearing it and Yibo buries his body into the coat. The teen tries to ignore the familiar scent coming from the coat, but deep down, he knows that the smell is becoming somewhat of a comfort to him. 

  
  
  


Xiao Zhan sits at the edge of his bed. His eyes are fixated on the gift box in front of him. The package wrapped up neatly in paper just sits by his desk, almost mocking him. Earlier, he almost threw Li Nuo off the cliff when he realized the sergeant took the gift from Yibo. 

The tired Xiao Zhan buries his face into his palms in exhaustion. He lifts his head to stare at the gift for what seems to be the tenth time now. Too ashamed to admit it, though, the young general cannot help but be interested in what could be inside. 

Sighing, Xiao Zhan falls back into his bed instead. He stares up at the pale ceiling, trying to distract himself from the package not far from him. Slowly, but surely, he finds his eyes trailing over to get a look at it again. There’s nothing inherently wrong with receiving a gift from someone that is thankful for having their life saved, but there’s just something about it being from Wang Yibo that bothers Xiao Zhan. He makes a funny face at the package. Then, just as quickly as the expression fades, he springs up from the bed and treads over to the package. 

Xiao Zhan sits down at his desk. Glaring at the package, as if it was some kind of ticking bomb, he begrudgingly unwraps the package. Beneath the layers of the wrapping paper, it’s a plain black box. Xiao Zhan lifts the cover up. 

Inside is just a bunch of chocolates and a can of expensive tea. For some unknown reason, he sighs in relief. What did he expect, really. Xiao Zhan puts the lid back on the box. He is about to stand up to head for bed when he tilts his head in intrigue. If his eyes aren’t playing tricks on him, he may have just seen some photo squares. He re-lifts the lid back up; his eyes fall on what looks like the backs of photo squares tucked in between a chocolate bar and the tea can. 

“What?” he blurts. 

Xiao Zhan picks up the photo squares and turns them around. His eyes widen in terror when he sees the images. The usually aloof and composed Xiao Zhan now finds himself frozen still in utter shock, or was it humiliation? His cheeks are burning like if someone put hot coals on them. Unmoving, he just continues to stare wide-eyed at himself from five years ago. 

“Oh no, no, no…” he begins to mutter to himself when he realizes what just happened. He drops the photos soon after. 

Xiao Zhan abruptly stands up from his seat, causing the legs of the stool to skid against the wood loudly. He runs his hands through his hands and shuts his eyes tightly. “I’m so fucking stupid…” he groans. 

He reopens his eyes and stares at the fallen photos in the same look of horror as before. However, one of the photos has flipped over upon falling onto the floor. There is writing on the back of this one. Xiao Zhan kneels down and picks it up. 

  
  


_ I hope you don’t mind me in developing these photos. The original film was still in the camera you gifted me. Thank you for the camera and for taking care of me. _

_ -Wang Yibo.  _

  
Xiao Zhan lowers the photo. He feels dizzy again. Maybe his fever is creeping back up on him. Yes, that must be it.

  
  


Yibo cannot sleep. He tosses and turns in his usually comfortable bed that now feels like a slab of stone. He huffs loudly and rolls over to his side, adjusting his blanket over his body. Yibo closes his eyes to try and sleep--only to reopen them in a matter of seconds.

The anxiety is eating him up from the inside out. What if Xiao Zhan is angered. What if he hates him now. What if he burned the photos out of spite. 

The distraught teen sits up from his bed. His heart is racing from the anxiety. As he can no longer sleep, he swings his legs over the side of his bed and stands up. Maybe a midnight snack will distract him from these thoughts. 

Yibo walks over to his bedroom door, but is quickly distracted by the light-blue trench coat hanging from it. He gets a woft of the same familiar, comforting smell coming from the coat. Ignoring it, Yibo opens the bedroom door and walks downstairs. 

  
  


____________________________________________________

I wish my writing style wasn’t so EXHAUSTING to execute. Lol. I’m tired as it is from work, but I’m also super picky about how I write so I spend so much time revising *cries*.

Anyway, enjoy! I really appreciate your comments and kudos. I’m sorry I can’t respond to all of your comments, though :( I don’t have the time. 

(Also, isn’t it cute how a feverish/sickly Xiao Zhan still gave Yibo his coat lol)

If you guys have any questions about this time in history (to better understand my fic), just ask in the comments :)


	7. Defiance.

Chapter 7. Defiance. 

_The next day._

On this cold morning, Yibo is tasked with cleaning his bedroom since the usual house maid is bed-ridden with the flu. The teen treads about his large room with an old rag in hand, clumsily wiping his study desk then moving to his bed post. He huffs loudly in annoyance, wondering where all of this dust comes from. As the tiring Yibo leans over to wipe the bed frame, his foot kicks something underneath his bed. Yibo, of course, looks down at his feet. Whatever he kicked, it felt like a thick book. 

Fearing he may have forgotten to return a library book, Yibo gets down on his knees. Using his hands to support his body weight, he lowers his head and looks into the dark mess underneath his bed. Indeed, he sees a rather thick book surrounded by dust. Yibo reaches his hand into the crevice and pulls the book out. He gets back up on his feet and looks down at the forgotten item in his hands.

“Oh, right.” he whispers to himself when he remembers. He borrowed this book on ancient Greece weeks ago. Yibo then notices the corner of a page sticking out of the book. He flips the book open to the messily folded page and unfolds it, albeit a bit hesitant for an unknown reason.

Almost immediately, Yibo drops the book back down onto the oak floors of his bedroom. He now remembers why this book was hidden underneath his bed---he threw it there himself. The fallen book is now staring back at him with the same graphic image of the male lovers; Yibo feels his face burn up like flames. His eyes are wide open, but he is too stunned to notice the sting of the dry air in his eyes. 

The flustered teen frantically reaches down to grab the book. He takes the folded page and tries to straighten it by pressing his palms onto the crooked page. When he feels like the page is straight enough, he swiftly shuts the book and slides it underneath his bed once more. Even if someone finds it, they won’t necessarily flip to that specific page...or at least he hopes not. 

Yibo lets out a short breath of relief. He bends down to take the rag back into his hands and proceeds to wipe down his night stand. However, as he wipes away the dust on his lamp, the image of the male lovers pops back into his mind. Yibo shuts his eyes tightly and shakes his head to get rid of the image. He reopens his eyes after a few seconds, thinking the image will no longer haunt him. He continues to wipe down the lamp. It doesn’t take long before his mind decides to betray him once more. 

Exasperated, Yibo drops the rag onto the ground. He flings his whole body onto his bed, face buried into the plush blankets. Like a candle burning brighter and brighter, the image becomes clear as day in his mind once more. The intertwined bodies, the closeness of the two men; it’s beginning to bother him. 

Yibo lifts his head up and looks over to his right side of his room. Like magments, his eyes are pulled over to Xiao Zhan’s coat that still hangs on his door. The teen scrunches his nose up almost instantly. It’s as if he can almost smell Xiao Zhan right now. It’s strangely comforting. 

Yibo sits up straight. His eyes are still glued on the coat. Oddly enough, he feels his heart racing. His hand slides up to his chest; the beating of his heart is almost painful against his rib cage. The teen keeps staring at the coat. Maybe he should return it today to Xiao Zhan. He can’t possibly keep the coat, that’d be rude. 

Getting up from his bed, Yibo walks over to the door. He hesitantly grabs a hold of the light blue coat and slowly pulls it close to his chest. Though he knows he really shouldn’t, Yibo still lowers his head to inhale Xiao Zhan’s scent. He cannot help but to close his eyes once the scent hits his nose; the natural scent of the elder is strangely intoxicating. His scent is like a mix between sweet cream and freshly washed linens. Yibo opens his eyes when he feels his chest hurting once more--only now, it’s coupled with his reddening cheeks.

  
  
  


There is not a moment where Yibo feels at ease when he walks through the old streets of central Shanghai. There is a sense of impending doom and desolation. The fallen buildings in conjunction with the misplaced civilians begging for food disheartens him. The distraught Yibo watches as a group of children slowly tread about the dirt roads in aimless circles; it is evident they are orphans as their clothes are torn and their faces covered in dirt. 

Close by, there is a steamed buns vendor; the smell of cooked meat permeates the air. Being who he is, Yibo cannot tolerate watching the children anymore. He knows they must be starving. With Xiao Zhan’s coat still in his hand, he runs over to the vendor. The cart is filled with piping hot meat buns, vegetable buns, and plain buns. 

“Uncle, how much are ten steamed meat buns?” Yibo asks, pointing at a bamboo steamer loaded with buns.

The vendor happily smiles back at Yibo, gleeful that there is a paying customer. “Two silver coins.” he responds. 

“Two silver coins?!” Yibo practically shrieks. He stammers a bit before looking at the vendor with a look of perplexity. “Sir, you’ve got to be kidding me. They used to be worth only a few-”

“Ah, yes. But since the Japanese attacked, the food supplies have gone to the military. There’s naturally going to be inflation.” the vendor interjects. 

Yibo thins his lips in contemplation. He looks back at the children behind him. The wandering orphans look to be no older than seven years of age--the youngest looks to be only four years old. Yibo clenches his fist in determination. He turns around to the waiting vendor.

“Fine. I’ll take ten meat buns.” the teen declares, digging into his trouser pocket. He pulls out a mesh of different valued coins. He then uses the hand that holds Xiao Zhan’s coat to clumsily flip through the conglomerate of coins. Picking out two silver coins from the batch of coins, Yibo is about to hand it over to the vendor until a petite hand reaches over and softly grabs his wrist. 

Yibo’s eyes quickly trail from the pale hand on his wrist all the way up to a smiling Mina. The elder is not in her usual nursing uniform as Yibo remembered her from a few days ago. She is dressed in a maroon coat, her hair in waves neatly framing her face. 

“I’ll pay for that.” Mina quickly offers the vendor. 

Yibo opens his mouth to protest but he is too taken aback from the sudden appearance of Xiao Zhan’s fiance. He looks back and forth between Mina and the vendor, stupefied. 

“Nurse!” Yibo then blurts. “No, I-I mean, Mina jie. I can pay for it myself!” he protests, trying to release his wrist from her small hand. 

Shaking her head, Mina uses her free hand to give the vendor two silver coins that coincidentally already had in her hand. “No, it’s fine. I will pay.” she insists. 

“Thank you, miss.” the vendor responds with a toothy smile. He swiftly takes the coins and drops them into his apron pocket. The vendor then turns around to package the order.

Yibo is completely still in his position, unsure what to do or what to say. He slyly looks over at Mina and feels his cheeks heat up. Darting his eyes back onto the ground, Yibo quickly bows. “T-Thank you, Mina jie…” he barely mutters. Yibo hears Mina softly laugh in response and his face heats up even more.

“No need to thank me.” she responds. “I saw you a few minutes ago when I was walking out of the pharmacy. I was going to say hi but I saw that you were occupied with more important things.”

“...What do you mean?” Yibo responds with a raised eyebrow. 

Mina turns her head to the right. Yibo follows her and turns his head in the same direction. Mina is staring at the group of orphaned children. 

“I mean, I knew you were going to buy the children some food. That’s very commemorable of you, Yibo.” Mina reveals. She looks back at Yibo with a warm grin. 

For whatever reason, Yibo feels slightly embarrassed. “Oh, that!” he nervously laughs, waving his hand in front of his face. “That’s nothing. I just hate being hungry, so imagining others hungry is...is upsetting…” he stammers. 

“Here is your order, miss!” the vendor chimes in, hand holding a plump brown paper-bag. 

“Oh, great!” Mina responds. She reaches out to take the bag, but Yibo takes it instead. 

“It’s heavy. I-I’ll hold it.” Yibo offers with a forceful smile. 

“Oh, okay. What a gentleman.” Mina teases. 

Yibo can feel the hairs on his neck rise. Interacting with women has never been something he is good at. It seems like he will never be good at it.

Mina takes the lead and walks over to the children. Yibo quickly trails behind her. When Mina reaches the children, she kneels down to their height and smiles the same warm smile of hers. Yibo follows her lead and kneels down. The group of children stare back at the two with wary eyes, but they are obviously curious. 

“You guys must be hungry.” Mina smiles. 

The children’s doe eyes peer over to the bag in Yibo’s hand. The teen notices their anticipating stare and he quickly opens the bag, revealing a bunch of steaming buns. The savory aroma of the filling circles the air surrounding them. 

Mina reaches into the bag and pulls out two buns. “Here you are.” she says, giving the first two children their share; they take the food into their hands with frenzy, having been starved for a day or two. Mina’s eyes dull as her smile fades. Those poor children. 

Yibo hands out the rest of the buns to the other children who are too excited by the food to even say thank you, but Yibo does not mind. The two watch the scene before them. No child should suffer this fate. Witnessing these innocent children scarf their food down becomes increasingly difficult to watch.

Mina stands up straight and clears her throat. She blinks away her tears and smiles weakly at Yibo. “I guess I should go now.” she says.

Yibo nods. “It was nice seeing you, Mina jie.” he smiles back. 

Mina waves goodbye. She is about to turn to leave, but she notices the familiar light-blue colored coat in Yibo’s hand. Mina looks up at Yibo with a perplexed look on her face. 

“You joined the military?” Mina queries, voice higher than normal. 

Yibo scrunches his eyebrows together. “Huh??” he blurts. Yibo then realizes that Mina is staring at Xiao Zhan’s coat. The teen’s eyes enlarge. “Oh, no!” he denies. 

“But, your coat-”

“No, this is Xiao Zh- uh I mean, General Xiao’s coat.” Yibo explains, voice shaky. “He gave it to me yesterday because I wore too little. I was just trying to return it to him today….”

Mina’s expression changes into a cheery one. “Oh, great!” she exclaims happily, much to Yibo’s surprise. “We can go to him together! I was just about to head to the base to give him some medicine since he’s been sick.” she suggests.

“Oh…what a coincidence.” Yibo mutters through his forced smile. 

  
  
  


“Do you ever get a feeling that something bad may happen to you?” Xiao Zhan wonders out loud. 

Li Nuo shrugs. He throws his legs on top of Xiao Zhan’s desk, garnering a glare from the elder sitting across from him. “All the time. But then again we’re about to go to war so maybe that’s why.” Li Nuo responds with a slight snicker. 

There is a knock on the door. Xiao Zhan and Li Nuo simultaneously turn their heads. The door opens slightly ajar and Mina pokes her head in. She makes eye contact with Li Nuo who naturally grins back at her. 

“Sister-in-law!” Li Nuo calls out. 

Xiao Zhan sighs loudly and instantly plants his forehead into his palm. 

“Sorry to bother you two. There weren’t any guards so I just let myself in…” Mina explains. She opens the door more this time, raising her arm to reveal a bag of medicine. “I went to the pharmacy for some medicine.” she says to Xiao Zhan. 

The young general responds with a tight-lipped smile “Thank you. You didn’t have to.” 

“Of course I had to.” she counters with a chuckle. Mina then opens the door wider. “Your friend Yibo is here with me, too.” she mentions, leaning a bit to the side and exposing the hiding Yibo. 

Xiao Zhan’s smile fades almost instantaneously. Besides Mina, Yibo is standing like a log with hands behind his back. The teen’s head is lowered and his eyes glued to the floor. 

Mina steps into the office, her heels clicking against the wooden floors loudly. She sets the bag of medicine onto Xiao Zhan’s desk. However, Xiao Zhan’s eyes are still fixated on Yibo. 

The nervous teen feels the elder’s eyes on him and he fidgets in response. Holding tightly onto the trench coat that is barely hidden behind his back, Yibo wishes he could just disappear or fall into the ground. 

Mina notices Xiao Zhan’s averted attention and she looks over at Yibo. “Why don’t you come in?” she asks.

Yibo’s eyes flutter up at Mina. “Oh...uhm…” he barely musters. His eyes then naturally drift over Xiao Zhan, who, of course, is still burning holes into Yibo with his stare. The teen quickly looks away and he gulps. “There’s no need for me to come inside, really. I’m just here to drop off the coat.” Yibo excuses.

Mina tilts her head in confusion. “You can still come in….” she almost mutters.

Yibo frantically shakes his head. “No need! Really…” he insists. He then hesitantly outreaches his hand that holds the coat and he gently places it onto the table right besides the door. “I’ll just leave it there…” he murmurs.

When Yibo looks back up, his eyes lock with Xiao Zhan once more. Xiao Zhan just keeps staring at Yibo. The expression of the elder is inexplicable. Xiao Zhan’s usual soft and feminine eyes have suddenly hardened into something more...stern. Whatever is going on in the elder’s mind, Yibo is not sure he really wants to know. He is, of course, the one that invaded Xiao Zhan’s privacy by developing those photos. Yibo then mentally cusses at himself for being so stupid. There was no reason to gift him those photos. 

Realizing the tension in the air, Yibo quickly bows. “T-thank you, General Xiao.” he practically whispers. Feeling his cheeks heat up again, Yibo spins around and speeds down the hallway. 

“Hey! Wait…!” Mina calls out. Of course, she gets no response.

The intrigued Li Nuo looks over at a frowning Xiao Zhan, then back at the fading body of Yibo out in the hallway. The sergeant chuckles to himself a bit. 

“That’s so strange…” Mina comments. 

Xiao Zhan’s eyes finally tear away from the speeding Yibo. He directs his attention back at Mina who is now sitting herself down on the stool by the desk, the same confused expression plastered on her face. Xiao Zhan forces another smile at her. 

“Thank you for the medicine, really.” 

Mina sighs.”No need to be so polite with me.”

“That’s right. No need to be so polite. She’s your fiance!” Li Nuo teases. Xiao Zhan shoots a glare at Li Nuo but is ignored. 

Mina crosses her legs and sighs to herself. She rests her hand on the wooden desk and leans in to Xiao Zhan. “Actually...I’ve been thinking…” she begins, but then trails off. Mina looks over at Li Nuo who just grins back at her. Mina clears her throat.

Li Nuo mouths an ‘oh’ when he realizes what she means. He gets up from his seat and walks to the door. 

“I’ll leave you two be.” Li Nuo states. The door shuts close.

Xiao Zhan cannot help but furrow his brows. “What is this about?” he asks. 

Mina fiddles with her thumbs. She leans in closer, unsure if she should actually say anything. Upon pondering for a minute or so, she finally reveals her news. “I’m actually leaving the city in one month. I initially didn’t want to say anything, but now that I am here, I feel the need to tell you.” 

“What? Why?” Xiao Zhan questions.

Mina’s gaze falls to her pale hands. She is silent again for a short while. “My boyfriend’s troop was deployed to Beijing. The last time I saw him was two months ago. With everything that is going on, I can’t guarantee that I will ever see him...So, I’ve decided to go to Beijing to find him. I will be leaving by the first of next month.”

Xiao Zhan finds himself staring at her with an agape mouth. 

“I...Well, I just wanted to tell you. It’s only fair.” she mumbles.

“No, I understand.” Xiao Zhan finally responds. The young general genuinely grins at her. “Let me guess, your parents don’t know of this.”

“Oh god no.” Mina laughs. “They would end me.”

The two laugh at the thought of both their parents finding out the wedding is over. If only their parents knew the actual truth, what a show that would be. 

Xiao Zhan’s laugh tapers off. He then looks over at Mina with now worried-filled eyes. “Be careful. It’s not going to be easy.”

Mina nods. “Oh, I know.” she sighs. “Thank you, though. Thank you for being so understanding.”

“Of course.”

  
  
  


Yibo is laying in his bed after having a quite filling late lunch. Unable to really move, and frankly, too uncomfortable to move, he just shuts his eyes. As it is only two in the afternoon, it is a perfect time for a short nap. The lazy teen rolls over to his side, taking his plush pillow into his arms and hugging it. For whatever strange reason, he buries his face into the pillow and inhales deeply. Yibo’s eyes immediately open when he realizes that his pillow smells nothing like Xiao Zhan. Why would it, really. 

Registering just how strange his behavior is, Yibo tosses the pillow aside. He huffs in annoyance and nestles his head into his other pillow.

But of course, in thinking about Xiao Zhan, Yibo’s mind now wanders to Mina. Something about Mina just bothers him to his core---but none of it truly makes any sense. Mina is a sweet person. She even took care of him when he was unconscious....but yet, there’s just an undeniable hidden disdain there.

The frustrated Yibo flips back onto his back and closes his eyes once more in hopes of not thinking about irrelevant issues anymore. Soon, the drowsy and heavy feeling of sleepiness washes over him. 

_The sunlight has cast a ray of golden light upon Xiao Zhan’s sleeping face. His skin is pale yet supple. His black eyelashes are now brightly bronze in color. His pink lips seemingly glowing underneath the basking light. Yibo watches the sleeping Xiao Zhan in wonder; He slowly reaches his hand out and delicately touches the elder’s soft cheek. His fingers trail the sharp jawline down to the swan-like neck. Yibo leans in close._

The door to his bedroom suddenly swings open. The squeaky hinges of the door awakens Yibo. The teen abruptly lifts his head. His blurry vision soon focuses on his mother who is standing by the door.

“Your father wants to speak with you in the master bedroom. Get up, quick.” she ushers. 

  
  


A sleepy Yibo slowly twists the doorknob open. He peeps into the bedroom and sees that his father is indeed awake. The pittiful eldery man is still bedridden. His leg is tied up to the bedpost to prevent the fractures from being further displaced. His father looks miserable. 

“Come on in.” Wang Yong speaks. 

Yibo pushes the door open fully. He steps into the cold bedroom and walks over to his resting father. “Mama said you wanted to speak with me.” he asks.

Wang Yong nods. He pats the empty spot next to him on the bed. “Sit.” he instructs. 

Yibo hesitantly sits down next to his father. Silence soon fills the room and Yibo can feel himself become more and more lucid. Something about this just doesn’t seem right. 

Wang Yong clears his throat. “Your school has been demolished.” he states.

Yibo slowly nods. “Yes...since days ago…” he confirms.

“Right.” his father agrees. Yibo just stares suspiciously at him. “Well, since you haven’t got a chance to return to school anytime soon and attending a national college is out the question with how things are panning out….I thought it would be a good thing for you to move to America.” 

“What??” Yibo almost chokes. “What do you mean, I-”

Wang Yong raises a finger to stop Yibo. “That’s not all, my boy.” he cuts in. “You remember Ruolan? Her father used to be a business partner of mine...that’s besides the point, this wonderful young lady has shown great interest in you. She spoke to her father about an engagement and then he spoke to me, and I agreed.”

Yibo squints hard at what he is hearing. “What??” he repeats.

Wang Yong sighs heavily. He looks at Yibo with a mixed expression---somewhere between apologetic and concerned. “You’re going to get married, boy.” he states. 

Yibo’s eyes enlarge. Once he actually registers what he is hearing, he grits his teeth in irritation and stares back at his father in vexation. “What do you mean?” he growls

The elder looks away, trying to figure out a proper way to say things. “Ruolan’s father owns a textile factory in Los Angeles, United States. There’s going to be an inevitable war, Yibo. I think this engagement proposal is the best way to guarantee your safety. You can go to college in America, you can live in safety. Plus, her family is wealthy and-”

Yibo suddenly stands up. He begins to back away from his father, head shaking in denial. “I’m only seventeen...” he breathes. “You can’t really expect me to marry someone I don’t even know!”

Wang Yong grimaces. He cannot bear to look his son in the eyes. Yibo’s eyes are now welling up in tears. 

“You don’t really have a choice, Yibo.” Wang Yong softly responds. “Besides, your mother married me at age seventeen. It’s not that uncommon.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to push that onto me!” Yibo cries. He furiously wipes the falling tears away from his cheeks. “Does Mama even know about this?!”

Wang Yong slowly nods, eyes still cast away from his son. “Your mother was initially against it, but I convinced her. She fears for your safety, too. She’s just too afraid to hurt you so she’s refusing to come up and speak to you.” he tries to reason. 

Yibo continues to frantically shake his head in denial. He feels his heart ache but it's a different kind of ache this time around. He cannot believe his own mother would agree to this. “You can’t force me. I won’t marry someone I don’t know. I’m your son, not your property.” he protests. 

Wang Yong darts his eyes over at Yibo, his expression has now changed to one of anger. “You can’t defy me, boy. The clothes on your back, the food you eat, the roof you're under, they’re all mine. Defy me and you can go fend for yourself on the streets!” he warns. 

Yibo inhales deeply. He feels the tears overflow his eyes once again. “Fine!” he screams. 

The indignant teen spins around and storms towards the door. 

“You’re playing yourself, boy! You can’t survive out there by yourself!” Wang Yong yells after him.

Yibo violently swings the open. “Watch me! I’ll go join the military!” he snarls back before slamming the door shut so loudly that the vase resting atop the fireplace falls onto the floor, breaking into a dozen pieces. 

Yibo rushes down the stairs. He spots his mother sitting by the couch and he just looks away, tears falling to the ground. 

“Yibo?” Biyu calls after her son, who is storming to the front door. She begins to become panicked when she notices Yibo putting on his shoes. “Yibo, where are you going?” she calls after him.

Yibo ignores his mother’s voice. He quickly twists the doorknob open and is about to head outside, but his wrist is grabbed by Biyu. Angered beyond words, Yibo does not even bother to turn around to confront his mother. He forcefully twists his arm away from her grasp and sprints out the door. 

  
  
  


The breathless teen has been running nonstop for about ten minutes now. He turns a sharp corner and continues to run for the base camp. Today is Thursday. The recruitment officers should still be there until five today. Yibo continues to sprint until the base camp comes into vision. The large metal gates are still open. He heads for it. 

  
  
  


“Alright everyone get into one line!” a brass male voice orders. 

The line begins to shift into a single formation. Yibo looks around in paranoia, trying to see if his mother or anyone else followed him. In the midst of peering around, he accidentally makes eye contact with the gentleman behind him. The older man looks down at Yibo in puzzlement. Yibo awkwardly turns back around. It is only then that he notices he is the youngest person here. Though today is just as cold as yesterday, Yibo cannot feel the cool winds as he is too pumped from adrenaline. 

“Next!” the same voice calls. 

The person in front of Yibo steps forward. However, almost instantly, the two officers sitting at the recruitment desk dismiss the man. Yibo frowns in confusion. He looks at the rejected candidate up and down. Turns out the man has a limp to his walk. 

“Next!”

Yibo’s eyes lock with the officer in front of him. He is frozen still. 

“I said next!” the officer repeats with a glare, now annoyed. 

Yibo feels a shove on his back from the man behind him. He stumbles forward towards the two officers. The teen forces a sheepish smile. “Hello officers…” he mutters. 

The officer directly in front of him shoves a sign-up sheet at Yibo. “Print your name, date of birth, and home address.” he instructs. 

“Y-yes sir.” Yibo stutters. He takes a pen from the table and begins to nervously scribble his personal information. 

“Your age?” the officer starts.

“Seventeen, sir.”

“Any mental health conditions we should know about?” 

Still focused on his writing, Yibo shakes his head. “No, officer.” 

The officer then checks off something on his own clipboard. 

“Any health conditions in general that may inhibit you physically during battle?” he adds.

Yibo puts the final dot on the last character. He sets the pen down and hands the paper back to the officer. “No sir.” he replies. 

“Good…” the officer mutters, checking off another box.

Yibo’s suddenly widen. Afraid that he may have just accidentally lied, Yibo interrupts the officer. “A-Actually, officer…” he laughs. “I forgot. I actually have congenital iron deficiency anemia.” he says through a pained smile. 

The officer looks up from his clipboard with the same annoyed glare from seconds ago. “Next!” he shouts. 

“W-what? Am I accepted?” Yibo interjects, waving his hand in front of the officer. 

The elder sucks his teeth. “You have anemia, kid. No point in going to war if you’re just going to faint midway from your illness.” he snorts. 

Yibo’s face reddens. He looks around, embarrassed. He then lowers his head to get closer to the officer. “I won’t faint. Just let me pass.” he pleads with a whisper. 

“No.” 

“Please!”

“No, kid. We need strong men. This is war, not a game.”

“I’m not weak!”

The officer sucks his teeth even louder this time. “What do you want from me? I’m just following guidelines. Now, move along and let the next person through.”

Yibo slams both of his hands onto the desk, making the other occupied officer jump a bit. 

“What’s your problem, kid?!” the officer in front of him shouts. “Don’t cause a scene because I will arrest you!”

“I’ll take any position. I can even be a supply boy.” Yibo offers, ignoring the threat. 

The officer looks Yibo up and down. His look of annoyance then turns into one of intrigue. “You’re a strange kid.” he comments. “I’ve never seen a seventeen year old so eager to join the military. You look well dressed and well fed. You’re definitely not joining because you’re starving.”

“Well then, can I join?”

The officer contemplates for a minute. He then turns to his comrade and they whisper to one another. The office turns back around to an eager Yibo. 

“There is one position that may work for you, since you’re so _eager_ to join. We do need some war photographers--but that’s only if you’re actually skilled in-”

“I am! I am one-hundred percent skilled at photography, trust me!” Yibo immediately cuts in.

The officer sighs loudly, not completely surprised by Yibo’s answer. “I’ll take your word for it, kid.” he mutters, stamping the sign up sheet in approval. 

__________________________________________________________

Oh, shi*t, little Yibo is gonna join the military. 

FYI, a war photographer is usually a college educated journalist/professional photographer that follows allied troops around and snap pictures to record history as it unfolds. However, for the sake of this story, let’s just say the military is too desperate for recruitment that they just had to take Yibo in ;) 

Also, notice how Yibo called Mina "Mina jie". Jie is short for older sister (jiejie) in Mandarin, Chinese. 

Thanks for your encouraging comments! My tired a$$ will try to write more consistently.


	8. Actualization.

Chapter 8. Actualization.

  
  


With the glaringly red color of the stamp on white paper, Yibo holds in his hands the confirmation of his undeniable choice. Perhaps the seventeen year old hasn’t truly realized the dire situation he put himself in; he just continues to stare down at the piece of paper with wide eyes.

“You need to come back before eight this evening to prove that you have photography skills and can read and write.” the officer starts. 

Yibo blinks a bit, then looks up at the elder in slight astonishment. “H-huh?” he mutters back. 

The officer sucks his teeth. “Proof, kid. _Proof_. Like your camera or some photos that you have taken. I also need a copy of your school identification card.” he explains. 

Yibo looks back down to the paper in his hands. He slowly nods. “S-sure.” he mutters once more. The cool winds blow against Yibo’s cheeks and he feels a shiver down his spine. The world around him seems to blur. The boisterous voices of the men besides him seem to fade into the distance like a passing siren.

The officer looks up at Yibo in wariness, seeing clearly that the younger is anxious. “Are you scared? I can rip that piece of paper for you if you want.” the officer smirks. 

Yibo quickly jerks his head back up. He shakes his head furiously. “No! I’m just...I mean, I don’t understand why you even allowed me to take his position. I’m not even college educated....” he wonders aloud.

The officer shakes his head and laughs. “Think about it kid,” he says in between a chuckle. “What kind of well educated man who can read and write would willingly risk his life for this? Majority of the educated men in this city have all escaped to other cities after the bombing. _This is war_ . I take whatever I can get, and that means, _you_.” 

Yibo lets out an uneven breath upon hearing the officer’s words. He finds himself frowning. “I guess that makes me naive…” he mumbles to himself, but the officer hears it too. 

The elder sits up straight and folds his hands on the table. He gives Yibo a stern look. “No, it actually makes you courageous.” he corrects. “Based on how you’re dressed and the way you speak, I can safely assume you’re from a wealthy family and you’re well educated. I’m proud that men like you still exist in this day and age. I commend your father for raising you.” he smiles. 

Yibo tugs his lips into a small smile. “Thank you, officer.”

The elder leans back into his seat. He then points a gloved finger at his wrist watch. “Tonight before eight, you got it kid? I need some photos _._ ” he reminds firmly.

Yibo quickly folds the paper up and shoves it into his trouser pocket. He bows deeply to the officer, accepting his offer. 

  
  


The rubble-filled streets are barren. It is nearing a quarter-past-five at night and families are gathered inside their homes eating dinner. There are some displaced families and single persons roaming about the streets, but Yibo’s attention is focused on the piece of paper in his shaky hands. The adrenaline rush has now worn off for a few minutes now and Yibo can feel his pathetic tears well up in his eyes. He stops in his steps in the middle of the street and lifts his head up to stop the tear flow. The tears, however, fall down the side of cheekbones instead and onto the ground. He lowers his head in defeat. He looks at the paper once more, the sun glaring a pristine glow on the ‘approval’ stamp in mockery. 

“I’m so fucking stupid.” the teen grumbles to himself. He folds the paper back up and puts it in his pocket. The panicked Yibo crouches down, folding his arms atop of his knees. He rests his tear-stained chin on his arm and sighs loudly. “I’m going to get murdered at seventeen.” he sobs to himself in pity. Warm tears trickle down his plump cheeks and fall to the ground with the slightest ‘pat’. He wallows in his own self pity for a good minute until the air-raid siren blares once more. 

Yibo jumps back up onto his feet. Terrified, he is about to bolt for the nearest cover. It does not take the stunned teen long before he realizes it’s a test run siren---the real siren is followed by a loud beeping sound and an announcer. He stops in his tracks and slowly crouches down once more in slight shame.

Feeling even more so defeated, Yibo runs his trembling hand through his dark locks. A thousand thoughts run through his mind. First being, his poor mother. She is probably outside searching for him. He truly hopes she does not find him in this state. It’s too pitiful even for himself. 

Surprisingly, or not surprisingly, Xiao Zhan runs through Yibo’s mind. The teen cannot help but wonder what the elder will say when he finds out he has joined the military. Maybe he will be kicked out by Xiao Zhan. Maybe then, he will then have to marry that girl Ruolan whom he’s never even cared about or even paid attention to. 

The siren’s blare quiets down to nothing. Yibo slowly stands back up. He pats his trousers to get rid of any dust. In truth, there is no real reason to be pitiful of himself. He is seventeen nonetheless. Some men marry at his age and have kids the next year. Taking that into account, he should be able to handle the stress of war, no? The reality is, he has two choices and only two: Comply with his father and risk being unhappy till his death or return to the military base and risk being murdered during combat. Truthfully, both seem equally unpleasant. 

Yibo begins to tread up the street to nowhere in particular. He is immersed in his own thoughts. Just when he thinks his thoughts have finished, another one creeps into his conscience. However, this time, it is Xiao Zhan’s sleeping face from the day of the air raid. Like a painting, Xiao Zhan’s etheric face manifests itself in Yibo’s mind’s eye. The flustered teen feels his cheeks come ablaze in heat. He shuts his eyes tightly to try and disperse the image of the elder from his mind. When he reopens his eyes, he sees stars. 

Unbeknownst to his own ego, his heart has made its decision at that moment. 

  
  
  


Sneaking back into his room is going to be a rather tough task, needless to say. Yibo hides behind a wall, right around the corner of his gated home. He nervously looks behind him to see if anyone he knows is following him. When he makes sure the coast is clear, he rather sneakily reappears from behind the dull grey wall. With a sweaty hand tugging at the ends of his shirt, he analyzes his home with much detail---oddly enough, he has never noticed how close the cherry blossom tree is to his bedroom window; no wonder why he was always rudely awakened by nearby chirping. His room is on the left corner of the second floor. He can see his room window clearly from his angle. 

“Think, idiot, think!” Yibo hisses at himself. 

Entering through the front door is almost ludicrous. Entering through the back door is equally as foolish. Yibo pouts. He crosses his arms, deep in thought. Then, it occurs to him. The tree! Of course! Now, he just has to get past the gates. 

The teen steps forward, footsteps as light as air. He makes his way over to the side of the gate and quickly presses his back against the nearby wall to make sure his father nor his mother can see him. Just one block down is the other end of his home that is barred by a large wall. He remembers clearly from his childhood that there is a hole covered by a stone slab in the wall just big enough to squeeze through---however, he is a lot older now. He just hopes he is still thin enough to pass through. 

Yibo takes a deep breath. He darts past the gate as fast as he can, almost like a fuzzy mass if an onlooker were to notice. He makes his way to the other end of the street. Without hesitation, he bends down to move the large stone slab aside. Yibo almost wants to laugh to himself when he sees what’s in front of him. The hole is still there, and now even larger than he remembers. Leave it to his frugal father to never want to spend money on renovations. He has no idea how they have never been robbed. 

He never thought he would think it, but he is glad that he is thin. The hole is just big enough for him to crawl through. Yibo rolls up his sleeves. He gets on his belly and begins to crawl through, his bare elbow scraping against the cement floors. When he pokes his head through, he sees the kitchen window right in front of him. Panicked that his aunt is there preparing dinner, Yibo quickens his pace. He barely makes it through the rugged hole, but he finally pulls his hips through. He jolts up on his feet and darts for the backyard, opposite and away from the kitchen window. 

In the backyard is where Yibo’s bedroom window faces. The window is almost covered by thick tree branches of the cherry blossom tree and Yibo can hardly make out the inside of his room from this angle. He peers around once more, paranoid. The entire backyard is quiet. Taking this chance, he quickly runs over to the tree. With one foot on the trunk and both hands hanging onto a thick tree branch, Yibo launches himself up onto the first tree branch. He almost loses his balances but then instinctively hugs the branch, chest pressed against it. Yibo inhales slowly but heavily. He is no longer the agile little boy he used to be and he realizes just how much danger he is in if he falls down---not because he will get hurt, but because his parents will notice him and probably beat him till he is buried six-feet under. 

Not too far from Yibo is his bedroom window. Luckily for him, the window is unlatched from the inside and it's slightly ajar. The increasingly nervous teen scans the surrounding area; he notices the closest tree branch that is sturdy enough to hold his weight is just one feet short of his window. The only logical solution, unfortunately, is to jump onto the feet-wide ledge right below the window. Yibo crawls towards the tree branch, arms secured around it. Hopefully, luck is on his side today. 

  
  
  


Out of breath and with tears blurring her vision, Biyu runs down the street, frantically calling out Yibo’s name. Next to her is the housekeeper, Aunty Lu, who is running right besides her. She, too, calls out Yibo’s name in unison as she had watched the boy grow from age three to now. 

“Wang Yibo!” Biyu shouts down the busy streets for what seems to be the hundredth time. 

The worried mother eventually slows down as she grows tired. Panting, Biyu wipes her tears away from her ivory cheeks. 

Passersby look at the two women in curiosity, as some of them know who Biyu is. A high standing woman like the likes of Biyu will not go unnoticed, but she doesn't care. Her mind is filled with only her precious son. 

“Madam, perhaps the young master is really at the military base.” Aunty Lu says as she catches her breath. 

Biyu turns her head to the older woman. She first furrows her brows in confusion. “N-no, he wouldn’t. He’s just a teenager. They say things they don’t mean all the time.” she denies. 

Aunty Lu falls silent. She clearly is not believing Biyu’s excuse. 

Suddenly, Biyu’s brown eyes grow large. “You don’t think--!??” she almost shrieks.

  
  


Yibo wastes no time. Swinging his leather duffle bag over his shoulder, he shoves his wallet inside. Then, he walks over to his dresser and quickly pulls random shirts, sweaters, and trousers off their racks and shelves. He picks up the mess of clothes on the floor and messily shoves as much clothing as he can into the large bag. Next to the dresser is a wooden chair with a locket and a pocket watch hanging on the ear of it. He unhooks the two items and places it into his bag. The locket contains a family photo.

Yibo hesitates for a moment when he sees Xiao Zhan’s light blue trench coat hanging from his door. He wonders if he should take it too. Perhaps he should. He needs to return it anyway. Yibo tiptoes towards the door and takes the coat and shoves it into his bag. He then tiptoes back to his closet and scans his room.

Almost forgetting the most important part of this trip, Yibo quickly spins around to his night stand. He reaches down and pulls the drawer open. Sitting neatly inside is his, or really, Xiao Zhan’s camera. A little deeper inside the drawer is Yibo’s old collection of films he developed over the years. He takes both the camera and the photos and gingerly places it into the duffle bag. 

The teen stops to take a look around his room. The room that has housed him and held seventeen years of memories will soon be abandoned---maybe for good. Although Yibo wants to take more items, like his favorite hair gel and maybe another pair of shoes, he realizes that he cannot. He can only fit so much into his bag. 

Yibo reaches down to zip up the duffle bag and all of the contents in it. Now it’s time to climb back down the unsturdy tree branch with hopes it won’t snap in half. 

  
  
  


Xiao Zhan uncomfortably pats the shoulder of the weeping Biyu. He looks around the camp nervously for Li Nuo to come back with news. Unfortunately, the younger one is taking his time. Perhaps even more unfortunate for Xiao Zhan, the rest of the camp is staring wide-eyed at their General Xiao, awkwardly comforting a random middle-aged woman.

“General Xiao, please, you cannot allow my child to join the military!” Biyu says between sniffles as she lightly grabs a hold of Xiao Zhan’s uniform sleeve. 

  
Xiao Zhan smiles crookedly and meekly nods. “No, of course not Ma'am.” he assures. 

Biyu shakes her head. “No, you cannot! He isn’t fit for the military. He’s too young! Look at how pale he is! He is a scholarly boy, he’s too weak and sickly for combat!” She proclaims loudly. 

Xiao Zhan pats Biyu’s shoulder once more, feeling the utmost uncomfortable and cornered. “Yes, yes Ma'am. Once my junior comes back with news of his whereabouts, I will deal with it accordingly. Please, follow me inside to my office for a cup of tea?” he offers, looking down at the tear-stained face of Biyu with a sincere smile.

Biyu sniffles once more. She then nods at Xiao Zhan’s offer. 

From the far left comes the sound of rapid footsteps and it distracts the two. Xiao Zhan turns to see Li Nuo running back to him. 

“General,” Li Nuo calls out, saluting mid run. He stops in front of the two. “General, Mrs. Wang.” he greets. “I've heard back from the officer in charge of recruitment. There was indeed a person named Wang Yibo registered in the sign up sheets. It seems like he is registered to be a combat photographer.”

Xiao Zhan cannot help but let out a small scoff. 

In contrast, Biyu gasps loudly. She grabs a hold of Xiao Zhan’s sleeve but even tighter this time. 

“General Xiao!” She panics. “If this is true, my boy will be killed in combat!” 

Xiao Zhan slowly peers down at his wrinkled sleeve. He then looks back up at Biyu and smiles tightly. “Rest assured, Ma'am. I will not let him die. I won’t even let him walk past the gates of this military base. His registration will promptly be revoked by me.” 

“Oh, please. That would be so kind of you.” Biyu smiles back. 

Xiao Zhan forces his smile wider. He reaches into his coat’s inner pocket and pulls out a white handkerchief. He offers it to the sniffling Biyu. 

Biyu takes the handkerchief and gingerly wipes her cheeks from the tear stains. “You’re so kind, General Xiao. I would be so lucky to have a son like you. So dashing in looks, tall, educated….Oh, I am so sorry that my Yibo has been such a hassle.” she says as she shakes her head in disappointment.

“Ma'am, no need to be sorry.” Xiao Zhan replies with a dry laugh. He nervously looks over at Li Nuo for help who is just as at a loss for words. 

“Ma’am, why don’t we head inside for a warm cup of tea? The sun is soon to set. We wouldn’t want you to catch a cold” Li Nuo interjects.

Xiao Zhan mentally sighs in relief. He looks down at Biyu who nods agreeably to Li Nuo’s offer. Xiao Zhan shows the way to the main building to their right. Biyu turns around to follow the two, but just as her head is halfway turned, she stops dead in her tracks. 

Xiao Zhan and Li Nuo both turn back to see Mrs. Wang staring wide-eyed at the gate opening like a deer in headlights. In front of the gate is the figure of someone too familiar to the trio. 

“Y-yibo?” Biyu whispers to herself. She squints a bit. Then, her eyes spring back to its wide doe shape. “ **Wang Yibo!!!** ” She yells at the top of her lungs, almost startling the two younger men.

Quicker than a blink of an eye, Biyu runs towards the gate, seemingly not bothered by her heels. 

Xiao Zhan watches in bewilderment at the scene before him. His suspicions, too, are confirmed as the familiar figure begins to spring the opposite way, away from Biyu. It has to be Wang Yibo. 

Without much thought, Xiao Zhan begins to run after Yibo too. 

Confused, Li Nuo quickly follows his senior’s footsteps.

It does not take Xiao Zhan long before he runs past Biyu. He fastens his pace; the figure of Yibo becoming clearer and clearer. 

“Wang Yibo!” Xiao Zhan shouts. “Stop right there!” he commands. 

The now very obvious face of Yibo looks back at Xiao Zhan, utterly panicked. “ _Shit.._ ” the teen mutters to himself. He desperately tries to quicken his footsteps.

The sound of Xiao Zhan’s heavy boots echo throughout the streets. Conveniently for him, though, he ran track during high school and catching up to someone like Yibo was not much of a hassle. “Stop right now! I’m warning you! I don’t wish to tackle you!” Xiao Zhan warns. 

Yibo shuts his eyes tightly and just continues to run with all his might down the street. He does not respond to the angered Xiao Zhan. He would be an actual idiot to get caught. His father would probably beat him to death if he got sent home. 

Xiao Zhan scoffs loudly to himself. He quickens his pace even more, now only a few feet away from the panting teen. “I’ll give you one last warning.” Xiao Zhan shouts, voice now eerily close to Yibo’s ears. The teen gulps. “I don’t wish to tackle you.” Xiao Zhan repeats. 

Yibo quickly darts to the left and into another road. Xiao Zhan audibly groans and swiftly follows the teen. Yibo leaves Xiao Zhan no choice. The elder can only physically take Yibo down at this point. 

The young general reaches out his hand and grabs a hold of the back of Yibo’s collar. The teen cannot help but let out a small but sharp gasp from the pressure of the collar against his adam’s apple as he is violently pulled backwards. Yibo shuts his eyes tightly and braces for impact. 

Xiao Zhan pulls Yibo the ground, the force of the pull flinging the teen’s bag upwards. Yibo lands on the hard cement floors with a thud. Before the winded Yibo can even open his eyes, he feels Xiao Zhan’s tight grip on both of his wrists. The teen is abruptly flipped onto his stomach and both his wrists are locked into place behind his back by what has to be Xiao Zhan’s tight grip. 

Yibo lets out a cough. He hesitantly reopens his eyes, only to see small figures in the far distance of his mother and the familiar Li Nuo sargeant. Yibo then feels a weight on his back. It is probably the angered Xiao Zhan pinning him down. 

“Look, General Xiao...” Yibo starts with a nervous laugh. “I know this looks bad, but trust me, I joined with good intentions-”

“You don’t need to explain anything to me, kid.” Xiao Zhan cuts in. “You have your parents to deal with. I’m going to kick you out regardless.”

Yibo turns his head and rests his cheek against the cold cobble floors. He tries to look upwards at the elder with pleading eyes, only to see Xiao Zhan’s expressionless eyes stare back at him. “You don’t understand General Xiao....my parents are trying to marry me off! I needed to run away! Don’t you know the feeling? Being married off against your will?” Yibo reasons. 

Xiao Zhan’s is still expressionless. “I don’t know anything about your familial issues. But please, don’t drag me into it.”

Not too far away, the two can hear Biyu’s voice calling out Yibo’s name.

Yibo sighs in defeat. He turns his head back around and faces forward. He can see his mother come closer and closer. Though the skies are darkening, he can still clearly make out the indignant expression on her face. Needless to say, the night is long.

  
  
  


Xiao Zhan twirls an ink pen between his slim fingers, sitting comfortably in his leather chair. He watches curiously at Yibo and Biyu across from him who are at a standstill after a two hour long screaming match. Next to him sits Li Nuo who is nodding off from sleepiness. 

Yibo involuntarily hiccups, the sound bouncing off the walls of the general’s office. The teen had cried for the whole two hours of fighting with his mother and frankly, he was a bit ashamed at himself and incredibly embarrassed at how Xiao Zhan was a witness to it all. 

“How could you be so silly, Yibo?” Biyu scolds. 

Yibo sighs loudly. He lets his head fall onto the oak desk in front of him with a loud thud. He does not respond to his mother. 

“What’s so bad about marrying Ruolan? She is from a well-off family, she’s educated, she’s beautiful, and most of all, she personally requested to marry you! Are you dense, son? This is the perfect opportunity to leave this country. It is not safe here anymore!” she says in exasperation. 

Yibo closes his tired eyes. He stays silent for a short while. “I don’t want to marry anyone, Mama. I have said this for the hundredth time. With all due respect, I just cannot allow my life to be given away by others.”

“You-!” Biyu hisses, a finger pointing at her son, unable to conjure up anything else to say.

Yibo opens his eyes and lifts his head up. His eyes are glued to the ground. He hesitates for a moment but then speaks. “You were engaged to Papa at seventeen. Papa was twenty-eight and already had one other wife. Don’t tell me it was from your free will that you wanted to be married off so young? Was it your choice to be pulled out of high school when you had dreams of becoming a writer? Was it your free will or was it familial pressure? To be married to the son of a mogul?” Yibo barely makes out. 

Xiao Zhan’s pen involuntarily falls to the ground--perhaps from being startled at Yibo’s rather bold statement. The young general clears his throat and he mutters an apology, bending down to pick the pen back up.

Yibo’s eyes are now focused on his mother. Biyu stares back at Yibo with an expression he has never seen before. 

“No, I don’t think it was your choice, Mama. You did it because you had to. Your family wanted you to. Tell me, how many of those years with Papa and his bitch of a first wife was? Were you happy? I’ve seen with my own two eyes since childhood how unhappy you were. You only had me for company. Do you really want to put your own child through something so similar? I won’t be happy.” Yibo continues. 

Biyu shuts her eyes. She shakes her head, now even more unable to continue the conversation. “I’m done here.” she says instead. Biyu stands up from her seat and slowly treads up the doorway. 

Xiao Zhan abruptly stands up. “Ma’am?” he calls out. 

Yibo watches his mother’s back. She does not turn back around. 

“I’m so sorry, General Xiao. I’ve wasted your time here.”

Xiao Zhan’s eyes dart back and forth between Yibo and Biyu. “Uhh, no worries, Ma’am, but I’m not sure what you mean by ‘I’m done here’. Do you still wish for me to cancel the registration...?”

Biyu smiles a tight lipped smile, but neither of them can see. “Perhaps it’s not up to me anymore.” she responds. 

Both Yibo and Xiao Zhan furrow their brows, perplexed. 

“Ma-” Yibo says, but is cut off by Xiao Zhan. 

“Mrs. Wang, you don’t really mean that I should allow him to make his own decision?” Xiao Zhan asks, worried. 

Biyu slumps her shoulders. She turns her head slightly to get a look at Yibo. “I’m at a loss for words, really. He can do what he wishes. I’m tired, so I will be heading home. If my son wishes to continue with his initial decision, then I can only do so much.”

In response, Yibo stands up. His eyes are as wide as a full moon as he stares confusingly at his mother. “I-I don’t understand..” he mutters. 

Before Xiao Zhan can interject with another word, Biyu reaches for the door. “It’s getting late. I’ll be heading home.” she states. 

“Mama, why are you suddenly changing your mind?” Yibo asks, urgency in his raspy voice. 

Biyu turns her head around once more to look at Yibo, but this time, her stare is more compassionate. “My stance hasn’t changed at all, Yibo. I still wish for you to be safe and away from this place, but I can’t possibly force you anymore. Look at where it got you. One push from your father and me, and you join the military. I don’t want to push you away further. I hope you will come to terms with your own decisions. You’re young. You will change. I hope you do change...” she says with a meek smile. 

Yibo feels his eyes well up in tears, but he suppresses them. 

“General Xiao,” Biyu’s attention is now on Xiao Zhan. “I really appreciate how helpful you’ve been. I will be sending you a care package soon for your utmost helpfulness.”

Xiao Zhan clears his throat. He politely smiles at the elder. “No need, Ma’am. It is my duty.”

Yibo slumps back into his seat. His dull eyes trail from his mother back onto the floors.

“You can come home anytime you wish, son. I will always welcome you back with open arms. For now, I am tired. I need to head home and face your father.” Biyu’s says with a low voice. She twists the doorknob open.

With quick thinking, Xiao Zhan kicks the now asleep Li Nuo’s ankle. The younger snorts loudly and springs up with urgency from his slumber state. 

“Sir, yes sir!” Li Nuo instinctively shouts with heavy lids. 

“See to that Yibo doesn’t run about the base. I will be escorting Mrs.Wang home.” Xiao Zhan commands, grabbing his coat from the hanger and proceeding forward to catch up to Biyu. 

Li Nuo salutes in response, tired eyes now drifting to Yibo with menace. 

Yibo sits silently in his seat, watching without any discernible expression at his mother’s disappearing figure and Xiao Zhan’s tall frame following behind. 

  
  


Li Nuo is visibly frustrated. He glares at Yibo and he is not trying to hide it. 

“Can you stop shaking your leg, kid? You’re making me dizzy.” Li Nuo complains. 

Yibo, who is nervously biting his fingernail, looks up at the elder. He stops his leg shaking when he sees that Li Nuo isn’t really looking too pleased. 

“Sorry...” Yibo mutters through his fingers. 

Li Nuo shakes head in disappointment. He leans back into his seat and sighs heavily. “It’s all your fault, kid. I missed my dinner. Now I’m sleepy and have low blood sugar.” he complains once more, albeit a bit dramatic. “All this just for a spoiled kid who has no idea what war is about...hah. If I were you, I would take up on that marriage proposal. Rich and beautiful? You must be insane to pass up on that.” Li Nuo snorts. 

Paying no mind to what the elder just said, Yibo abruptly sits up straight. “Sargeant, have you ever been shot?” he asks. 

Li Nuo raises an eyebrow. “Why do you ask? Are you regretting your decision?” he smirks. 

“Well, have you? O-or even stabbed?” Yibo continues on.

Li Nuo looks down at his boots. “Well...no...not really. At all, actually.” he mutters.

“Do you know anyone who has? Have they told you how painful it is?”

The elder frowns, deep in thought. “Yes.” he then confirms. “I know a guy who was shot in the leg once during practice by a rookie soldier. There was blood everywhere and the wound was stitched up without any pain medication. Boy, was Xiao Zhan mad about that wound-” Li Nuo immediately realizes his slip of the tongue and slaps his palms against his lips, now wide-eyed. 

“What??” Yibo breathes. “General Xiao was shot in the leg??!”

The door swings open with a loud creak. Both Li Nuo and Yibo jerk their heads in that direction, only coming face to face with an expressionless Xiao Zhan. In the general’s hands, is a familiar brown paper bag. The smell of steamed buns fill the air in an instant. Li Nuo swallows his saliva. 

Xiao Zhan’s eyes meet Yibo’s. “If you’re curious, it was my right leg.” he comments. 

Li Nuo’s face turns crimson red in being found out. Yibo only awkwardly nods at Xiao Zhan in acknowledgement.

The young general places the food down onto the desk in front of the two younger. He then calmly takes off his coat and hangs it on the coat hanger adjacent to him. 

Li Nuo purses his lips and stares at the bag of food. “Is this for us?” he queries, hands perspiring from anticipation of food. 

Xiao Zhan takes off his cap, letting his fringes fall onto his forehead. He sits down on his leather chair and lets out a soft sigh, nodding at Li Nuo. “There was still a food stall open. Surprising for this hour, but I figured you two would be hungry.”

“Very kind of you.” Li Nuo sheepishly smiles. He begins to open up the paper bag, too distracted by the temptations of piping hot food to notice Xiao Zhan staring at Yibo. 

The teen swallows nervously. He tugs at his collar which now seems impossibly tight. 

Xiao Zhan continues to stare at the younger. 

Yibo begins to sweat. A trickle of sweat falls from his temple to his chin. Strange for the middle of fall, but he is indeed that nervous. 

“Uhm….so, I want to thank you for escorting my mother home…” Yibo begins, voice low and weak. 

Xiao Zhan shifts in his seat and inhales deeply. “Kid, you can’t really be serious about all of this?” he asks, completely ignoring Yibo’s previous sentence. 

Yibo almost jolts from his seat.

Across from the anxious teen, Li Nuo quietly takes two more buns from the bag. The sergeant then gets up. “I’m just going to leave you two. It’s late.” he excuses himself. 

Xiao Zhan’s attention is glued and secluded only on Yibo, who is now avoiding eye contact. Only when the sound of the shutting door is heard is when Xiao Zhan speaks again. “You know, I just witnessed your mother and father argue for about an hour over your brash decision and how you’re throwing your life away? I can’t help but to say that I agree. Are you actually insane, kid? This is practically a death wish on your part.” 

Yibo’s eyes dart up at the elder. From the dull yellow light of the lamp next to the oak desk, Xiao Zhan’s face is softly lit up. Though his features are soft and golden from the light, his expression is clearly one of annoyance.

Yibo swallows for what seems to be the hundredth time now. “....I’m not insane. I guess I’m stubborn...but I understand fully the gravity of my decision. It know this might sound utterly stupid to you, but I’d rather do something meaningful like war photography than marry someone I can’t stand.”

“Well sometimes, kid, life isn’t just about idealism. Reality is unfair. Everyone needs to make some sacrifices.”

“Aren’t you marrying Mina? Do _you_ even like her?”

Xiao Zhan’s eyes involuntarily widen a bit, but they go back to normal just as quickly as they grew. “Don’t make comparisons. My point is that you're in over your head. I do hope you realize that war isn’t childsplay. You're going to see the dead bodies of your comrades, you’re going to get shot at, there will be people who want your head. They don’t care if you’re just a photographer, they only care to kill.”

Yibo eagerly nods in response. “I know! I know all of this. This isn’t news to me.”

The elder finds himself chuckling. “So you’re telling me that you’re perfectly fine with possibly having your guts spilling all over the floors? Or a gun pointing at you?”

Yibo’s eyes fall on the pistol tucked into the gun holster around Xiao Zhan’s small waist. The teen begins to sweat once more. 

“Whatever kid, I’m still going to rebuke your signature.” Xiao Zhan states. He reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out his cigarette pack. 

Yibo swiftly stands up, skidding the wooden chair a few inches away. He stares rather sternly at the elder.

An amused Xiao Zhan lights up his cigarette and takes a puff. 

“Look, General Xiao, I know you don’t like me. I admit I’m a handful and I am forever grateful for help, but please, I can’t go back home. I just can’t. Either I die from a gunshot wound or I die by the hands of my enraged father. Either way, I still die.” Yibo reasons. “Besides, you guys need me. Where else are you going to find someone who is educated and willing to walk straight into danger? Hm?”

Xiao Zhan takes another puff of his cigarette, the air flowing all around his figure like a rainy cloud. He remains silent. 

“You’re not going to respond?” Yibo asks.

“My decision is pretty much final, kid. I can allow you to stay here in my office for one night, but tomorrow you need to return home. I don’t want to be involved in your personal issues or be responsible for you once more. You're bad luck.” Xiao Zhan states firmly. He takes his cigarette and presses it against the glass dish, diminishing the fumes. 

  
  


Yibo falls back into the chair. He folds his arms across his chest. “I’m not bad luck. I’m just stubborn.”

Xiao Zhan chuckles lightly. He stands up and pats his uniform clean of any residual dust and then puts his cap back on. He then walks over the door and takes a hold of his coat. Before putting the coat on, he turns back around and points at the large wooden closet in the opposite corner of the office.

“There’s a pillow and blanket in there if I remember correctly. I usually take naps on the couch behind you so feel free to make yourself comfortable. I’m heading back home. It’s late.”

Yibo barely nods. He just watches Xiao Zhan put on his coat. The elder opens the door, the creaking noise interrupting the silence between them. Xiao Zhan hesitates for a moment, but he turns around just enough for Yibo to see his side profile. 

“By the way, I want to thank you for the photos. I would have lost them if you didn’t discover them.” Xiao Zhan says with a slight smile. 

Yibo can feel his cheeks heat up like coals in fire. He unknowingly begins to fiddle with his hands. “Uh..no need to thank me…” he barely musters. 

Xiao turns his head back around and walks out the door, shutting the door close behind him. Yibo lets out a sigh of relief. He feels like he can’t breathe. 

  
  
  


Sitting idly in his cushiony seat on the balcony, Xiao Zhan enjoys the cool breeze of the night against his skin. His sweater is barely on his shoulders as he leans his body against his seat even more. It is well past midnight, but he cannot sleep. Too lazy to light another cigarette, he opts to just close his eyes and relax. Over twelve hours in a stiff uniform does indeed take a toll on one’s body and posture. 

Eyes closed, Xiao Zhan begins to drift off into sleep. In his half dream state, he sees the face of Yibo. The image becomes clearer now, and he sees Yibo sleeping in his arms. The air surrounding them is hazy and white with crumbling cement, but there are no sounds of the falling bombs. Just peaceful silence. Yibo feels warm in Xiao Zhan’s arms. 

  
  
  


Tossing and turning, unable to find a comfortable position, Yibo sits upright. The couch is stiff and too leathery. He is a bit tempted to sneak back home, but the thought of having to face his father scares him right back down onto the couch. Yibo lays back down once more. 

Maybe Xiao Zhan is right. He is in over his head. Who is he kidding, he can’t truly handle the terrors of war or being shot at. Yibo huffs out loud and turns to his side. He buries his face into the flush white blankets, secretly enjoying the familiar scent of the elder. As sweet as vanilla. 

  
  
  


_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ni Hao.

Bnjour.

Konichiwa.

Hola. 

So SORRY that I have been gone for so long. Good news though (maybe you guys will forgive me), I’m officially a doctor! I just recently graduated residency and now I’m a pathologist. I’ve been so busy with work and research projects that I’ve been neglecting my creative passion: writing. Lol. Also, please ignore some grammatical or spelling errors. I'm running on four hours of sleep. 

Enjoy this chapter! I will post more in the future. Rest assured, I won’t spend 3 months away again.

<3333

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is 'poolie'.
> 
> My story is heavily influenced by the 2014 Chinese drama "Battle of Changsha". If you haven't watched it, please do! It's very romantic story but also hyper realistic. It gives great insight into what life was like for the general Chinese population during WW2. I was watching this drama and I thought that it would be a cool idea to spin the story-line of this drama a bit and make a Yizhan storyline. My story and the drama aren't exactly alike, but definitely very similar. 
> 
> As it is stated in the summary, I thought it would be a very touching to make two complete opposite people find solace in one another even through the turmoils of war.
> 
> For further reference (and to help you all visualize better), here are some links to pictures of what military uniforms used to look like. 
> 
> Typical high ranking General's uniform: https://i.pinimg.com/236x/c2/c3/67/c2c367ab722a0d000353b0e48fb0fb01--hu-ge-beautiful-boys.jpg
> 
> Typical high school uniform for boys (the black one with the white buttons): https://culture.teldap.tw/culture/images/Facets%20of%20Taiwan/20130520/live3-10.jpg


End file.
